CBS’s Stephen Colbert tried to have it both ways on Thursday’s taping of The Late Show. On one hand he mocked Republicans for wanting to defund PBS out of concerns its documentaries were sexualizing children because what child watches PBS? On the other hand, he defended PBS against calls to defund it by citing all the children’s programming it does. Later in the show, Colbert would welcome Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and press him from the left on his recent decision not to shut down the government and argue that October 7 was not the start of a dangerous uptick in anti-Semitism.
Colbert began by introducing a clip of subcommittee chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene by declaring she “kicked things off with a weird rant about grooming kids.”
In the clip, Greene proclaimed, “This is not the only example of them sexualizing and grooming children. They've been doing it for over the last decade. In 2015, PBS produced Frontline put out a documentary Growing up Trans.”
Missing the point, Colbert reacted, “Ma'am, I think the better question might be: Why are your kids watching Frontline? ‘All right, kiddos. One more episode of 'South Korea's truth commission' but then it's right to bed.’ ‘Awwwww, mom. But we wanted to watch 'Amanpour and Company.’”
The actual point is that PBS is just taxpayer-subsidized MSNBC, but Colbert then tried to defend the network by highlighting its children’s shows, “Defunding PBS is part of Project 2025, which is why they also heard from Project 2025 author Mike Gonzalez, who, it turns out, hasn't even heard Daniel Tiger’s catchphrase.”
After a video of an exchange between Gonzalez and Rep. Ro Khanna, Colbert continued, “They want to cancel PBS, and they don't even know what shows are on it! Daniel Tiger teaches kids coping skills. Rocket teaches phonics. Alma teaches emotional intelligence, and the show Martha Speaks teaches kids that, if you feed a dog alphabet soup, the letters will go into its brain, and then the dog will know how to speak English. Which coincidentally is also how Marjorie Taylor Greene learned to talk.”
Colbert then went to bat for PBS, “Here's the thing. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting only accounts for roughly one one-hundredth of one percent of the federal budget, meaning the average cost per American is $1.60 per year. That's nothing! And in exchange, we've gotten five beautiful seasons of All Creatures Great and Small.”
Later, a frustrated Colbert explained to Schumer that he wasn’t buying his argument that shutting down the government would have been worse from a liberal perspective than fighting Republicans on the continuing resolution, “I can understand what you're saying. I would understand it more if it'd been what people call a clean CR, meaning let's just continue things the status quo. But it wasn't that.”
After going through a list of cuts, he wondered, “So, why can't they just do this again in September when the next CR has to be passed?”
Schumer never did answer the question, “Here's what we think can happen by September. We are going after Trump in every way. We are going after him on so many things. He's destroying—he's trying to destroy even Social Security by shutting down the offices, cutting back the phone lines. It's been sacred in America, Stephen, to have Social Security. We love it. He's trying to cut it.”
That shifted the conversation to Social Security, but later the duo approached the subject for Schumer’s book: the rise in anti-Semitism. Schumer observed how anti-Semitism and related conspiracy theories have been around forever, “But, still anti-Semitism was—the pot was not boiling until October 7th.”
Colbert tried to argue, “We were shocked into our consciousness on this in Charlottesville before that, in 2017. I would push that back about seven years.”
Schumer replied by pointing out that anti-Semitism did not spread across the country after Charlottesville like it did after October 7, “Okay, it was. But after the 7th, it got seriously worse. People who were yarmulkes were punched. They'd throw rocks through the windows of a Jewish bakery. Nothing to do with Israel. The Jewish bakery. The Brooklyn Museum is near my house, you know, I'm a proud Brooklynite, as you know, and the president was Jewish but had nothing to do with Israel, they smeared her house with red paint.”
It is only when they perceive Democrats as weak-kneed that the late night comedians really challenge their Democratic guests.
Sign the petition to help us defund another MSNBC in PBS and NPR at defundpbsnpr.org.
Here is a transcript for the March 27-taped show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
3/28/2025
1:20 AM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: If anyone does indeed get fertilized, they might have a harder time finding something for their kids to watch, because yesterday, the House's new government efficiency subcommittee grilled the CEOs of NPR and PBS. Marjorie Taylor Greene kicked things off with a weird rant about grooming kids.
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: This is not the only example of them sexualizing and grooming children. They've been doing it for over the last decade. In 2015, PBS produced Frontline put out a documentary Growing up Trans.
COLBERT: Ma'am, I think the better question might be: Why are your kids watching Frontline? "All right, kiddos. One more episode of 'South Korea's truth commission' but then it's right to bed." "Awwwww, mom. But we wanted to watch 'Amanpour and Company.'
Defunding PBS is part of Project 2025, which is why they also heard from Project 2025 author Mike Gonzalez, who, it turns out, hasn't even heard Daniel Tiger’s catchphrase.
RO KHANNA What does "Ugga mugga" mean to you?
MIKE GONZALEZ: Nothing.
KHANNA: You've never heard the expression "Ugga mugga"?
GONZALEZ: I don't think so, no.
KHANNA: It's a— have you ever watched a Daniel Tiger show or know any families who watch a Daniel Tiger show?
GONZALEZ: I don't think so.
COLBERT: They want to cancel PBS, and they don't even know what shows are on it! Daniel Tiger teaches kids coping skills. Rocket teaches phonics. Alma teaches emotional intelligence, and the show Martha Speaks teaches kids that, if you feed a dog alphabet soup, the letters will go into its brain, and then the dog will know how to speak English. Which coincidentally is also how Marjorie Taylor Greene learned to talk.
Here's the thing. Here's the thing. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting only accounts for roughly one one-hundredth of one percent of the federal budget, meaning the average cost per American is $1.60 per year. That's nothing! And in exchange, we've gotten five beautiful seasons of All Creatures Great and Small. I had no idea you could stick your arm that far up a cow!
I learned something! But this money does actually matter for PBS and NPR. NPR gets around 10 percent of their funds from the government, and PBS gets around 16 percent. Sixteen percent is a serious chunk. If PBS loses that, they're going to have to rely even more on the Chubb Group. The Chubbs group: Hard times call for a firm chubb.
…
COLBERT: I can understand what you're saying. I would understand it more if it'd been what people call a clean CR, meaning let's just continue things the status quo. But it wasn't that. It was, there were no additional FEMA funds, $1.4 billion in cuts in FEMA construction, $185 million cuts in defense nuclear nonproliferation programs, $280 million cuts in scientific research—
SCHUMER: Oh yeah.
COLBERT: — $40 million cuts in programs to help children and families, $30 million in cuts from farmers’ assistance. The bill doesn't give any specific funding directive so it's Possible Trump could take this money and create slush funds—
SCHUMER: Yup.
COLBERT: — and, am I correct, a billion dollars from D.C.'s budget could be taken out?
SCHUMER: Yeah, although that was restored.
COLBERT: That was restored, okay, good. So, why can't they just do this again in September when the next CR has to be passed?
SCHUMER: Here's what we think can happen by September. We are going after Trump in every way. We are going after him on so many things. He's destroying — he's trying to destroy even Social Security by shutting down the offices, cutting back the phone lines. It's been sacred in America, Stephen, to have Social Security. We love it. He's trying to cut it.
…
SCHUMER: But, still anti-Semitism was — the pot was not boiling until October 7th.
COLBERT: We were shocked into our consciousness on this in Charlottesville before that, in 2017. I would push that back about seven years.
SCHUMER: Okay, it was. But after the 7th, it got seriously worse. People who were yarmulkes were punched. They'd throw rocks through the windows of a Jewish bakery. Nothing to do with Israel. The Jewish bakery. The Brooklyn Museum is near my house, you know, I'm a proud Brooklynite, as you know, and the president was Jewish but had nothing to do with Israel, they smeared her house with red paint. So, I felt, I'm the highest ranking Jewish elected official in America ever and now also. And I felt I had to speak out so I gave speeches on the floor of the Senate about it. But I felt I had to write this book because it is a warning. It shows the history, and I think if every American read this book or many Americans read this book, the danger of anti-Semitism would decline.
