Former USAID Administrator Samantha Power was not the only liberal guest on Tuesday to enter the liberal echo chamber that is CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Also making an appearance was CNN’s favorite comedian, W. Kamau Bell, who declared President Donald Trump to be “a first ballot hall of fame racist” and attacked “white people” for being unwilling to say so.
Colbert set Bell up by sarcastically asking, “Last time you were here was 2020, and Trump was president then, and now he's back for a second… what are you looking forward to most?”
After Bell employed his own sarcasm by fake laughing at the question, Colbert urged him to “keep it positive.”
Bell then went off on his rant, “No, I will not. I will not be positive. So, here's what annoys me about the Trump era, or error, depending on your pronunciation, is some people's inability to admit that he's a racist. When I say some people, I mean mostly white people. Okay, let me be clear. And a few rappers.”
He added, “So, like, the idea is that people who don't like Trump, even don't agree with him on left and right of the spectrum, still don't want to admit that he's a racist and let's be clear: Trump has one of the greatest resumes of racism in the history of racism.”
Colbert then chimed in to add, “He’s an all-star.”
Bell upped the pejoratives, “He's a first ballot hall of fame racist. He is the LeBron James of racism. For years and so, I hate the fact that I will be talking to people and be like, ‘You know, Donald Trump is a racist,’ and white people, I don't know what happens to you when somebody says ‘Donald Trump is a racist,’ but you get all like, ‘I don't know, I mean, he's a bad guy,’ but I don’t know, their spines turned to jelly, ‘I don't know, I just, I mean, I wouldn't put him in charge of BET, but I wouldn't call him a racist. I mean, I wouldn't have him make the collard greens for the family reunion, but I wouldn't call them racist.’”
Referencing inflatable tube men, Bell stood up and did a little dance, “I don't know what it is, white people. When someone talks about Donald Trump's racism, you turn into that thing outside of used car lots, like, ‘I don't know. I wouldn't have them get into a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, but I wouldn't call him a racist.’”
Of course, Bell thinks the country itself is racist, so people could be forgiven for not taking anything he says seriously.
Here is a transcript for the February 4-taped show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2/5/2025
12:28 AM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: Last time you were here was 2020, and Trump was president then, and now he's back for a second—
W. KAMAU BELL: What? What?
COLBERT: Yes, I’m sorry, I hate to be the one to tell you.
BELL: Oh my god, I've been studying for Celebrity Jeopardy! I didn't really read the news.
COLBERT: Well, what are you looking forward to most?
BELL: [Sarcastic laughter]
COLBERT: Keep it positive.
BELL: No, I will not. I will not be positive.
COLBERT: You will not? Okay, alright.
BELL: So, here's what annoys me about the Trump era, or error, depending on your pronunciation, is some people's inability to admit that he's a racist. When I say some people, I mean mostly white people. Okay, let me be clear. And a few rappers.
COLBERT: Okay.
BELL: So, like, the idea is that people who don't like Trump, even don't agree with him on left and right of the spectrum, still don't want to admit that he's a racist and let's be clear: Trump has one of the greatest resumes of racism in the history of racism. Yes.
COLBERT: He’s an all-star.
BELL: He's a first ballot hall of fame racist. He is the LeBron James of racism. For years and so, I hate the fact that I will be talking to people and be like, “You know, Donald Trump is a racist,” and white people, I don't know what happens to you when somebody says "Donald Trump is a racist," but you get all like, “I don't know, I mean, he's a bad guy,” but I don’t know, their spines turned to jelly, “I don't know, I just, I mean, I wouldn't put him in charge of BET, but I wouldn't call him a racist. I mean, I wouldn't have him make the collard greens for the family reunion, but I wouldn't call them racist.”
I don't know what it is, white people. When someone talks about Donald Trump's racism, you turn into that thing outside of used car lots, like, “I don't know. I wouldn't have them get into a rap battle with Kendrick Lamar, but I wouldn't call him a racist.”
