The second day of the live broadcast of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, immediately following the Democratic National Convention, was unexpectedly interrupted.
The evening’s first guest, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was interrupted during her radio conversation with Colbert in which she was recapping the DNC’s past activities. They blocked the label “architect” of President Joe Biden’s decision to step down from the 2024 presidential campaign, and things took a turn for the worse just minutes into their conversation.
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While discussing her new book, “The Art of Power,” a protester began shouting from the audience. Colbert addressed the person and the audience and said, “For those of you who can't see, there's a protest going on in the audience.”
The presenter then quickly cut to a commercial and said he would be back: “The topic is Israel and Palestine and if you have a seat, we need to go to the commercial break. When we come back, I will ask the next question I had on that topic.”
When they returned, Colbert finished a question from his earlier interview with Pelosi, but then quickly shifted gears. “Let's talk about another aspect of power,” he said, circling back to the protesters' question. “The United States uses its power abroad, as I said earlier. There's a political protester here. There's a political invention in town, you're a politician and protests are natural. People are protesting, even within the Democratic Party, there's disagreement about what is the proper use of American power, particularly protected power abroad, firm power and soft power. If the goal is a peaceful and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians, what role does the United States play?”
Pelosi's response first focused on President Biden's current and past foreign policy record. “Let me just say this is a role that President Biden has done very well for many years, he was the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee,” Pelosi said. “He was a senator, vice president, president for many years. His global experience is tremendous. If I may tell you a story, before you were born, again, when I was in school, I went to the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. And in the speech that he gave, this incredible inaugural speech, he said to the people of America, 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.' You've probably read that in the history books. That was my childhood. The next line he says in the speeches: 'To the nations of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind.' That is our mission. That is what Joe Biden stood for. So yes, we have a commitment to Israel. It is in our security interest to do that. Israel has been attacked by a terrorist organization. We want the hostages released. But we do not want children killed in Gaza. So we have to figure out a solution. And now, we were told earlier today that Israel has agreed to the ceasefire agreement. We hope that Hamas will do the same. But it brings me to the point of saying to you that war has no place in a civilized society. We have to learn more about trust and peace.”
During the last part of this answer, the audience began to shout again, to which Colbert replied, “As you can see from the continued outcry here, that answer is unsatisfactory to some people.”
Colbert then turned to the protester and asked if they wanted an answer to their question, or if they would “listen” to Pelosi's answer. He switched back to his guest and asked her the question: “They've said the United States should have no role in supplying weapons to Israel to kill people in Gaza. That's what they're saying.”
“Israel has the right to defend itself,” Pelosi said. “But the other part of it is something that has been so important to all of us for years, which is that there has to be a two-state solution. You can’t have peace unless you have a two-state solution. Israel, a secure Jewish democratic state in the region. And the Palestinians have their own secure country there as well. Unless you have a two-state solution, you’re not going to have a solution to this problem.”
At that point the shouting increased and Cobert instructed the protesters, “Please do not interrupt my guests.”
After a few more cheers from the crowd, Colbert began to wrap up his conversation with his first guest. Pelosi tried to change the subject by shouting, “Isn't it great to be in Chicago?” The segment went to commercial shortly after.
Hakeem Jeffries was the next guest and Colbert also asked him about the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
At the end of the evening, after the show ended, Colbert addressed the audience and thanked them for coming. He expressed his gratitude, but he did not address the protesters further.
According to insiders, all demonstrators left of their own accord and the event proceeded peacefully.
This is the second day of Colbert's live broadcast from Chicago. Monday's episode ends just after 1 a.m. central time.
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