NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers writer, CNN host, and cancelled White House Correspondents’ Dinner comedian Amber Ruffin travelled across town to CBS and The Late Show to join host Stephen Colbert to claim “it would be impossible to make jokes about both sides” and even “dangerous.”
Colbert set the table, “This past weekend was the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Some people may know that you were supposed to perform, but then four weeks out, they disinvited you, which might be cooler than being invited, actually. What happened?”
What happened was Ruffin called the Trump Administration “a bunch of murderers,” but she claimed, “You ain't never going to believe this. So, I had said that it would be impossible to, you know, make jokes about both sides. You know, because we’re at a point now where one side is snatching people up off the street and putting them on a plane and the other side is, you know, not doing that. So, I just thought it would be impossible to make jokes about both sides, and it’s also a little dangerous.”
Colbert likely agrees. In 2024, Colbert told 82 percent of his jokes about conservatives. Rufin's boss, Seth Meyers, told 85 percent.
Of course, one could reverse the roles. Since the WHCD is the media’s ode to itself, you could say one side is writing puff pieces about Hamas supporters “and the other side is, you know, not doing that.”
Colbert, however, was not interested in that, “Were they familiar with your material before they asked you?”
Ruffin didn’t really answer the question, “I'm saying! So, also, thank you for having me here because I didn't do the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Yay. I thought I was going to be here talking about some ‘oh, yeah, I did such a good job’ or ‘well, it's a tough house,’ like, one of those two. I didn't think I'd be here going, ‘Yeah, well, my big mouth got me in trouble.’”
Sticking with the idea, Colbert wondered, “Were you disappointed to be canceled or kind of relieved?”
Ruffin then teased what might have been, “I was really, really sad for, like, two hours. But then I had a brunch. So, then I felt great. That is true, but I thought if they didn't want me doing that show before I had even opened my mouth, then they would have been really, really sad with what they got… and then also after they fired me, I looked back at my Google doc and was like, ‘this would have been bad.’ They would not have liked it.”
Intrigued, Colbert tried to get Ruffin to provide some examples, “Are there any jokes that you were so looking forward to that you might be willing to share with us right now?”
After Ruffin replied, “Absolutely not,” Colbert quipped, “Are your immigration papers not in order?”
That got Ruffin to provide a little peek at what would have been, “But no, I was going to end it with like, this administration is trying to get you to hate other people, and that's not your natural state. Human beings are made to love one another. Blah, blah, blah. But I mean, it's true. And they got you by convincing you that you are filled with hate and you absolutely aren't. It's the opposite of what you're made for. And saying that out loud now makes me glad that I got canceled.”
What about people who lie about other people being racist? Are they “trying to get you to hate other people”?
Here is a transcript for the April 29-taped show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
4/30/2025
12:17 AM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: This past weekend was the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
AMBER RUFFIN: That’s right.
COLBERT: Some people may know that you were supposed to perform—
RUFFIN: That’s right.
COLBERT: -- but then four weeks out, they disinvited you—
RUFFIN: Yes.
COLBERT: -- which might be cooler than being invited, actually. What happened?
RUFFIN: You ain't never going to believe this. So, I had said that it would be impossible to, you know, make jokes about both sides. You know, because we’re at a point now where one side is snatching people up off the street and putting them on a plane and the other side is, you know, not doing that. So, I just thought it would be impossible to make jokes about both side,s and it’s also a little dangerous.
COLBERT: Were they familiar with your material before they asked you?
RUFFIN: I'm saying! So, also, thank you for having me here because I didn't do the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Yay. I thought I was going to be here talking about some “oh, yeah, I did such a good job” or “well, it's a tough house,” like, one of those two.
COLBERT: Yeah, yeah.
RUFFIN: I didn't think I'd be here going, “yeah, well, my big mouth got me in trouble.”
COLBERT: Yeah, well, even if you do a good job, it's a tough house.
RUFFIN: Yeah.
COLBERT: That's the thing. Were you disappointed to be canceled or kind of relieved?
RUFFIN: Right. I was really, really sad for, like two hours. But then I had a brunch. So, then I felt great. That is true, but I thought if they didn't want me doing that show before I had even opened my mouth, then they would have been really, really sad with what they got.
COLBERT: Out of your mouth.
RUFFIN: Yeah. And then also after they fired me, I looked back at my Google doc and was like, “this would have been bad.” They would not have liked it.
COLBERT: Are there any jokes that you were so looking forward to that you might be willing to share with us right now?
RUFFIN: Absolutely not.
COLBERT: Why? Are your immigration papers not in order?
RUFFIN: But no, I was going to end it with like, this administration is trying to get you to hate other people, and that's not your natural state. Human beings are made to love one another. Blah, blah, blah. But I mean, it's true. And they got you by convincing you that you are filled with hate and you absolutely aren't. It's the opposite of what you're made for. And saying that out loud now makes me glad that I got canceled.
