Stephen Colbert opened his Wednesday monologue by blasting Donald Trump’s latest attacks on Chicago, flipping off the president with a barbed two-word message.
The president has proposed sending in the National Guard to restore order in the third-largest city in the United States by population. On The Late Show, Colbert said Trump “took a hard right onto the fascism freeway” with his announcement that “we’re going in” to the city he described as a “hellhole.”
“How dare you, sir! Chicago is not a hellhole right now,” Colbert said. “Chicago is not a hellhole until February. Then, then, it is subzero windswept vista of frozen Lake Michigan, trudging out of your affordable apartment to meet your improv friends at Twin Anchors for a craft beer and a double cheeseburger. Hellhole. Mmm. Hellhole.”
Pulling out his best Trump impersonation, he added: “Yesterday, Trump also posted, ‘Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the world, by far.’ Worst and most dangerous? Two words: F–k you.”
The Late Show host flipped off the president directly to the camera, drawing huge cheers from the live audience.
Colbert highlighted another post from Trump that called Chicago “the murder capital of the world.” He corrected him: “Fun fact: No.” Citing FBI data, Colbert noted that 22 U.S. cities actually have higher murder rates.
“These are scary times,” Colbert said, raising a glass of Chicago’s bitter local spirit. “This Malört’s for you, Chicago.”
“We’re going in,” Trump told reporters when asked about Chicago on Tuesday. “I didn’t say when, but we’re going in.”
However, Vice President JD Vance played down Trump’s comments on Wednesday. He said there were “no immediate plans” to send the National Guard into Chicago, despite Trump’s ranting.
Threats from Trump to deploy troops to more cities have so far only been made to Democrat-controlled states or cities. A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Trump’s decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops into Los Angeles in June violated the law.
“No one with a functioning brain is buying your nonsense, Mr. Trump,” Lori Lightfoot, who was mayor of Chicago from 2019 to 2023, responded on X.
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