CBS’s Stephen Colbert continued his attacks on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday’s edition of The Late Show, calling his recent actions around the impending end to the government shutdown “obviously a failure of leadership.”
Citing an article from CBS, Colbert lamented, “Things are getting chilly up on Capitol Hill. After a small group of Democrats voted with Republicans to end the shutdown. To end the shutdown without restoring health care subsidies, Democratic leadership is taking heat from the rank-and-file. Chuck Schumer, who is supposed to be the leader of the Senate Democrats, reportedly gave the deal quote ‘neither a blessing nor a curse, and it did not direct senators on how they should vote.’”
Colbert then introduced an edited clip from Bravehart by sarcastically praising Schumer for his “Bold leadership! Reminds me of the stirring words of William Wallace.”
In the clip Fake Wallace rallied his men by exclaiming, “They may take our lives or our freedom. Their choice. Whatevs.”
Colbert continued, “Now, here's the thing. It is so obviously a failure of leadership. Schumer is facing fury from every part of the party. Moderate House members, progressive senators, self-described insurgents, establishment candidates. Not to mention low-rise governors, zaddy comptrollers, gluten-free city managers and deputy mayors on tandem bikes. It's a very, very big tent.”
Later, Colbert welcomed Rep. Jim Clyburn to the show and asked him, “But last night the Senate passed a deal, and Speaker Johnson is finally calling the House back to vote on the end of the longest government shutdown. After 41 days, did anyone get anything they wanted? Who benefited here?”
Clyburn tried to avoid being a total pessimist but also shared Colbert’s frustrations, “Well, I think everybody had some of what they wanted. The other side got more of what they wanted than what we wanted. We got some protections for SNAP, WIC. These are not unimportant programs. However, when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, making health care not only accessible for everybody, but affordable by everybody, that we did not get unless—”
After Colbert interrupted to say, “That was a stated goal,” Clyburn rolled on, “Absolutely and it’s still the goal. If at first you don't succeed, you keep trying. And I think that we are going to stay in this fight. Hakeem Jeffries has made it very clear that this is not the end of this fight. And who knows? What was the vote? Are they promising to put the bill on the floor? Or are they promising to let us bring the bill to a vote? I don't know that. I've been listening for that.”
Clyburn also tried to suggest, with no evidence, that filibustering whatever bill Democrats eventually come up with on Obamacare subsidies would violate the agreement, “You see, the Senate has promised a vote. But we give them, our side, eight votes to bring a bill to the floor. That's how they got to 60 to cut off the filibuster. Now, are they going to give us the votes that we need to cut off the filibuster so that we can have a direct vote on the bill?”
Colbert scoffed at the idea, “What is your—you want to lay some money on that? Because I can make some quick cash right now, I think.”
Clyburn agreed, “Not from me because I will not bet on the Senate by any means.”
This is what passes for late night comedy in the Trump era: either the repeating of Democratic talking points or lamenting that the party is not left enough.
Here is a transcript for the November 11 show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
11/11/2025
11:38 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: Things are getting chilly up on Capitol Hill. After a small group of Democrats voted with Republicans to end the shutdown. To end the shutdown without restoring health care subsidies, Democratic leadership is taking heat from the rank-and-file. Chuck Schumer, who is supposed to be the leader of the Senate Democrats, reportedly gave the deal quote “neither a blessing nor a curse, and it did not direct senators on how they should vote.”
Bold leadership! Reminds me of the stirring words of William Wallace.
FAKE MEL GIBSON/WILLIAM WALLACE: They may take our lives or our freedom. Their choice. Whatevs.
COLBERT: Whatever. Now, here's the thing. It is so obviously a failure of leadership. Schumer is facing fury from every part of the party. Moderate House members, progressive senators, self-described insurgents, establishment candidates. Not to mention low-rise governors, zaddy comptrollers, gluten-free city managers and deputy mayors on tandem bikes. It's a very, very big tent.
…
COLBERT: But last night the Senate passed a deal, and Speaker Johnson is finally calling the House back to vote—
JIMY CLYBURN: Yes.
COLBERT: —on the end of the longest government shutdown. After 41 days, did anyone get anything they wanted? Who benefited here?
CLYBURN: Well, I think everybody had some of what they wanted. The other side got more of what they wanted than what we wanted. We got some protections for SNAP, WIC. These are not unimportant programs. However, when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, making health care not only accessible for everybody, but affordable by everybody, that we did not get unless—
COLBERT: That was a stated goal.
CLYBURN: Absolutely and it’s still the goal. If at first you don't succeed, you keep trying. And I think that we are going to stay in this fight. Hakeem Jeffries has made it very clear that this is not the end of this fight. And who knows? What was the vote? Are they promising to put the bill on the floor? Or are they promising to let us bring the bill to a vote? I don't know that. I've been listening for that.
COLBERT: In the House you mean?
CLYBURN: Yes. And the Senate. You see, the Senate has promised a vote. But we give them, our side, eight votes to bring a bill to the floor. That's how they got to 60 to cut off the filibuster. Now, are they going to give us the votes that we need to cut off the filibuster so that we can have a direct vote on the bill?
COLBERT: What is your—you want to lay some money on that? Because I can make some quick cash right now, I think.
CLYBURN: Not from me because I will not bet on the Senate by any means.
