CBS’s Stephen Colbert came dangerously close to engaging in anti-Semitic tropes about money and influence during a Thursday interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders, where the two men alleged Super PACs like AIPAC are why the U.S. refuses to strongarm Israel into ending the war against Hamas. Meanwhile, NBC’s Seth Meyers tried to suggest that arresting Ben & Jerry’s cofounder Ben Cohen for disrupting an unrelated Senate hearing was an attempt to silence people on the issue.
On The Late Show, Colbert told Sanders, “Your fellow Vermonter Ben of Ben & Jerry's was actually at the hearing that I believe you were at yesterday and was dragged out when he was making that protest.”
Reversing roles, Sanders asked, “Why do you think more Democrats aren't speaking up on that issue?”
Colbert replied with a one-word answer, “Money.”
It would be unfair to label Colbert an anti-Semite. For all of his problems, he doesn’t have the history that someone like Ilhan Omar has, and he could argue he was just talking about money in politics generally. He should, however, be aware the trope exists and that political organizations that give money to politicians are only able to do so because people support them. As intense as Israel’s operations have gotten, there is still the basic question of how those demanding an end to the war today on humanitarian grounds would guarantee that October 7 never happens again. Colbert doesn’t have an answer to that question.
Neither does Sanders, “Of course. If you speak up on that issue, you'll have super PACs like AIPAC going after you the same way Elon Musk goes after Republicans. So, what people have got to understand is right now what the corrupt campaign finance is about is that billionaires can put unlimited amounts of money. Why do you think Elon Musk has been the most powerful person in government? It has everything to do with $270 million that he donated to make sure Trump got elected. That's a corrupt system and we if we’re ever going to have a government of the people we need to change it.”
In non-Israel topics, earlier Sanders was welcomed by “Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” chants from the audience, leading Colbert to begin, “At a certain point, you're going to make me jealous. Senator, we haven't chatted, and I can't believe this, we haven't chatted since the election, and I've been out here barking to a camera in a Bernie-less world for the last few months… So, given what's happened in the first 120 days, how do you see the urgency of the moment? Where are we, and where do we want to be?”
Sanders gave his usual socialist stump speech while framing it as something new, “It is very urgent. We are living increasingly in an oligarchic form of society… you now, Lincoln talked about government of the people, by the people, for the people. What you've got now is a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. And Stephen, I will tell you, these are not nice guys. They really are not. They are extremely greedy people and they want it all. We're living in a moment of more income and wealth inequality than we’ve ever had in the history of this country.”
Later, on Late Night, Meyers recalled how far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker was recently detained by CPB. Piker claims he was interrogated about his political beliefs, including about Israel. It should be noted that DHS has said he is “lying for likes.”
Still, Meyers tried to add Cohen to the list, “Not only is it wrong to detain people for their constitutionally protected speech. It also won't work. You can't stop people from speaking up about America's morally disastrous policy towards Gaza, which is opposed by a majority of Americans. Just listen to Ben & Jerry's cofounder, Ben Cohen, who was arrested for speaking up about it during a hearing on Wednesday.”
“Speaking up” means “disrupting,” but details aside, Meyers played a CNN clip on the incident that also featured Cohen claiming, “We will not look away. We will not be silenced. We will do everything we can to get our government to stop being complicit in starving little kids to death.”
Meyers lauded Cohen’s effort, “He's right, and I applaud him for speaking up, which is not easy for me to say because his company has been rudely ignoring my many attempts to get a Ben & Jerry's flavor called ‘A Closer Lick.’”
While socialist senators, late night hosts, and ice cream companies come down with a case of “do something-ism,” none of them have any realistic proposals to make sure that this war is the last one.
Here is a transcript for the May 15-taped shows:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
5/15/2025
11:55 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: At a certain point, you're going to make me jealous. Senator, we haven't chatted, and I can't believe this, we haven't chatted since the election, and I've been out here barking to a camera in a Bernie-less world for the last few months. Where are we, where are we, you know, we’re 120 days in approximately, something like that. We've got something like 520 days before the midterm elections, but who's counting. So, given what's happened in the first 120 days, how do you see the urgency of the moment? Where are we, and where do we want to be?
SANDERS: It is very urgent. We are living increasingly in an oligarchic form of society. When Trump was inaugurated, I had—I got kind of pushed up into the front row there, so I had a bird's-eye view, but standing right behind him were the three wealthiest guys in America, multibillionaire's. Right behind them were another 13 billionaires who were nominated by Trump to head up major government agencies. So, what you've got is a -- you now, Lincoln talked about government of the people, by the people, for the people. What you've got now is a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. And Stephen, I will tell you, these are not nice guys. They really are not. They are extremely greedy people and they want it all. We're living in a moment of more income and wealth inequality than we’ve ever had in the history of this country.
…
COLBERT: Your fellow Vermonter Ben of Ben & Jerry's was actually at the hearing that I believe you were at yesterday and was dragged out when he was making that protest.
SANDERS: Why do you think more Democrats aren't speaking up on that issue?
COLBERT: Money.
SANDERS: Of course. If you speak up on that issue, you'll have super PACs like AIPAC going after you the same way Elon Musk goes after Republicans. So, what people have got to understand is right now what the corrupt campaign finance is about is that billionaires can put unlimited amounts of money. Why do you think Elon Musk has been the most powerful person in government? It has everything to do with $270 million that he donated to make sure Trump got elected. That's a corrupt system and we if we’re ever going to have a government of the people we need to change it.
***
NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers
5/16/2025
12:54 AM ET
SETH MEYERS: Not only is it wrong to detain people for their constitutionally protected speech. It also won't work. You can't stop people from speaking up about America's morally disastrous policy towards Gaza, which is opposed by a majority of Americans. Just listen to Ben & Jerry's cofounder, Ben Cohen, who was arrested for speaking up about it during a hearing on Wednesday.
JOHN BERMAN: Ben Cohen, the founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream was arrested by capitol police after protesting to a hearing that featured health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. [jump cut] He posted a video of the protest saying, quote, “I told Congress they are killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and they are paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid.”
BEN COHEN: We will not look away. We will not be silenced. We will do everything we can to get our government to stop being complicit in starving little kids to death.
MEYERS: He's right, and I applaud him for speaking up, which is not easy for me to say because his company has been rudely ignoring my many attempts to get a Ben & Jerry's flavor called “A Closer Lick.”
