According to CBS’s Stephen Colbert, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is his second-most common guest. On Tuesday, Sanders was on again as Colbert turned The Late Show into The Socialist Show as he opened the floor to Sanders to predict Donald Trump will lead to more wildfires, the erosion of women’s rights, and the reason why the Biden Economy isn’t doing so well is because of greedy corporations.
Colbert put the ball on the tee for Sanders as he inquired, “As someone who spent his life trying to push our nation forward, how does it feel for you to see so many voters returning to a person that I, for one, thought have been politically discredited even among his own party, Donald Trump.”
After calling it “distressing,” Sanders went through a list of reasons why “take something like climate change. Every sane person on this earth understands that the world is getting warmer. I mean, right now in Texas, there is a horrible forest fire, the worst they've ever had. We’ve seen fires all over the world, heat waves, storms, unprecedented. Truth is Trump doesn't even believe in the concept of climate change. Will work with the fossil fuel industry to increase oil production, et cetera and that will send a signal all over the world that the fight against climate change has basically been lost and I wonder what kind of climate our kids and grandchildren will inherit.”
Sanders also freaked that “Then if you look at women's rights. My god, women have struggled forever and to be full citizens of this country, to be able to control their own bodies. If Trump wins, it will be a massive-- and his Republican colleagues-- a massive setback to women's rights and the right of women to control their own bodies.”
After a commercial break, Colbert once again opened up the floor, “If Bernie Sanders was giving the State of the Union address on Thursday, what would he say the state of our union is?”
Sanders gave his usual stump speech before adding, “But, I think what the president has got to recognize is that there are a lot of people who are hurting out there. People going to the grocery store, can't afford food, can't afford to fill up their gas tanks, working incredible hours, having a hard time taking care of their kids or their parents.”
Sounds like quite the indictment of the Biden economy, but Sanders insisted that it is not Biden’s fault, “we have made some progress, but the president has got to understand we have a long way to go here, we have to have the courage, Stephen, and this is not easy, to take on a very powerful corporate ruling class whose greed in many ways is destroying this country. We got to take them on and create an economy for all, not the few.”
Sanders wants to impose policies that make gas more expensive, then gets mad at the fossil fuel companies when prices get more expensive. If Colbert was more of an interviewer than a fan, he might have pointed this out.
Here is a transcript for the March 5-taped show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
3/6/2024
12:06 AM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: As someone who spent his life trying to push our nation forward, how does it feel for you to see so many voters returning to a person that I, for one, thought have been politically discredited even among his own party, Donald Trump.
BERNIE SANDERS: It's distressing. To say the least. And what I am concerned about is I think many people don't understand what a Trump presidency will look like and it will be a disaster not only for our country but I think, you know, for the world. And if you look at -- and if you look at, you know, Stephen, if you just look at the issues and I don't want to rattle them all off, but take something like climate change. Every sane person on this Earth understands that the world is getting warmer. I mean, right now in Texas, there is a horrible forest fire, the worst they've ever had. We’ve seen fires all over the world, heat waves, storms, unprecedented.
Truth is Trump doesn't even believe in the concept of climate change. Will work with the fossil fuel industry to increase oil production, et cetera and that will send a signal all over the world that the fight against climate change has basically been lost and I wonder what kind of climate our kids and grandchildren will inherit. That's just one thing.
Then if you look at women's rights. My god, women have struggled forever and to be full citizens of this country, to be able to control their own bodies. If Trump wins, it will be a massive-- and his Republican colleagues-- a massive setback to women's rights and the right of women to control their own bodies.
…
COLBERT: The State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress is this Thursday. We'll be here live afterwards making the jokes. If Bernie Sanders was giving the State of the Union address on Thursday, what would he say the state of our union is?
SANDERS: God, I wish I was going to give that address. Matter of fact, now that you mention it.
COLBERT: You gave it a shot.
SANDERS: I gave it a shot. Alright, this is what I would say. I would say that in the last couple of years we've made some progress on a number of important issues. We have a long way to go. This is the greatest country on Earth. This is the wealthiest nation on Earth. We should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major nation on Earth. We should not be the only wealthy country that doesn't guarantee health care to all people as a human right. We should not have a federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. We should not have, as you mentioned, billionaires and large corporations not paying a nickel in federal income tax. We should lead the world in transforming our energy system to save the planet for our kids and grandchildren. You know, those are some of the issues.
But, I think what the president has got to recognize is that there are a lot of people who are hurting out there. People going to the grocery store, can't afford food, can't afford to fill up their gas tanks, working incredible hours, having a hard time taking care of their kids or their parents. So we have made some progress, but the president has got to understand we have a long way to go here, we have to have the courage, Stephen, and this is not easy, to take on a very powerful corporate ruling class whose greed in many ways is destroying this country. We got to take them on and create an economy for all, not the few.
