stephen colbert chokes up
Trump's speech makes Stephen Colbert choke up
01:41 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

President Donald Trump’s attempt to undermine the presidential election by claiming it was being stolen left some without words – notably late night host Stephen Colbert.

In a show that aired after Trump’s statement on Thursday – during which the President repeated false claims about illegally cast ballots and election fraud – Colbert criticized Trump, calling his speech an attempt “to poison American democracy.”

“For weeks, we’ve been talking about how there’d be a red mirage, and how all those outstanding Biden mail-in ballots might let Joe catch up,” Colbert said. “And that Trump would then probably come out around, I don’t know, Thursday, maybe evening news time, and pretend that he won and accuse everybody else of cheating.”

Everyone knew he would do this, Colbert said. And then the host of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” looked down, shook his head and choked up.

After a few seconds, when he looked up again, Colbert had this to say:

“What I didn’t know is that it would hurt so much. I didn’t expect this to break my heart. For him to cast a dark shadow on our most sacred right, from the briefing room in the White House – our house, not his – that is devastating. This is heartbreaking for the same reason that I didn’t want him to get Covid. Certainly why I wanted him to survive. Because he is the president of the United States. That office means something. And that office should have some shred of decency.”

Colbert spoke for nearly nine minutes before starting his traditional monologue that kicks off “The Late Show” on CBS. He implored Republicans to speak up.

“For evil to succeed, all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing,” Colbert said. “So say something right now, Republicans, not later when you’ve stuck your finger up in the wind or wherever you want to put it. Right now.”

Colbert called Trump a fascist and said Republicans need to choose between him and the American people.

“And when it comes to democracy versus fascism, I’m sorry, there are not fine people on both sides. So you need to choose: Donald Trump or the American people? This is the time to get off the Trump train,” he said.

Colbert specifically cited Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who Colbert said declined to comment on Trump’s speech.

“Who is silent gives consent,” Colbert said. “So Mitch, we heard you loud and clear. You’re OK with this.”

McConnell’s office declined to comment to CNN on Trump’s remarks on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, McConnell made his first public remarks after Trump’s statement, tweeting “Every legal vote should be counted.”

On Thursday evening, as Biden inched closer and closer to closing Trump’s leads in Georgia and Pennsylvania, Trump spoke from the White House briefing room, spewing misinformation and suggesting that he would challenge the results in court.

“This is a case where they’re trying to steal an election, they’re trying to rig an election, and we can’t let that happen,” Trump said in a dour monotone, providing no evidence and departing the room without answering for his false claims.

As of Friday afternoon, Biden is leading in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. To secure the presidency, he would need to win Pennsylvania or any two of the other states that he’s leading.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.