It's no secret that Stephen Colbert isn't a fan of our tweeter-in-chief. Much to the delight of his fans, The Late Show host gleefully skewers Donald Trump on a nightly basis. But Colbert found himself in hot water earlier this month after he made a particularly brutal joke at the president's expense.
"You talk like a sign language gorilla that got hit in the head," Colbert said, referring to Trump. "In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s cock holster." The joke spawned the Twitter hashtag #FireColbert and, due to thousands of complaints, the Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation. Today, the FCC announced the review is complete and Colbert won't face any penalties for the joke.
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“Consistent with standard operating procedure, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has reviewed the complaints and the material that was the subject of these complaints,” a statement released by the FCC reads. “The Bureau has concluded that there was nothing actionable under the FCC’s rules.”
Although the FCC is obligated to investigate any content that generates complaints, it was unlikely that Colbert would have been penalized. The joke was made after 10 p.m., and it was appropriately bleeped.
Colbert has maintained that he doesn't regret the joke, but he did address fans' valid concerns that it had a homophobic tinge. "I just want to say for the record, life is short and anyone who expresses their love for another person in their own way is, to me, an American hero. I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the President and I can agree on that. Nothing else. But, that," he told his audience.
For his part, Trump is decidedly not interested in agreeing with Colbert on any subject. (Shocking, we know.) In a recent interview with Time, the president described Colbert as a "no-talent" who says "nothing funny" and uses "filthy" language.
"You're not wrong, I do occasionally use adult language, and I do it in public, instead of the privacy of an Access Hollywood bus," Colbert responded. Touché.