Stephen Colbert attacks Jim Jordan's response to Tyre Nichols: At what point do you 'start being evil?'
Colbert called out policing in general, 'Is it enough to get rid of a few bad apples? Seems like there might be a problem with the tree'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Comedian and "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert went on a lengthy monologue against Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., for his comments on the police bodycam footage of Tyre Nichols’ "evil" beating, suggesting that they were steps away from being "evil" themselves.
Friday’s footage of Memphis police officers beating and kicking 29-year-old Nichols went viral over the weekend with many left-wing media outlets and politicians suggesting that this represented systemic racism in policing. This was despite the fact that Nichols as well as the five officers charged with his death were all Black.
Jordan also condemned the video remarking, "I don’t know that there is any law that can stop that evil that we saw. I don’t know there is anything you can do to stop the kind of evil, we saw on that video."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert attacked Rep. Jim Jordan during a monologue on Monday. (CBS)
"But if you keep witnessing evil and do nothing about it, at what point do you stop being a witness and start being evil?" Colbert asked Monday night.
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The CBS late-night host also agreed that the police footage was an example of "systemic racism" regardless of the officers’ races.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The officers involved have been fired, but is it enough to get rid of a few bad apples? Seems like there might be a problem with the tree." Colbert commented. "The thing is, in that interview there, Jordan is dangerously close to understanding something. On that police video, we’re looking at evil. And you have to stop that at its root. What is the root of evil? In this case, it’s systemic racism. Systemic, because unlike so many of the examples we’ve seen, the five officers charged in this case are Black and part of a special squad called Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods, or ‘SCORPION.’"
A protestor holds a sign reading "Justice for Tyre Nichols, Jail Killer Cops" during a rally against the fatal police assault of Tyre Nichols, in Atlanta, on January 27, 2023. (CHENEY ORR/AFP via Getty Images)
"But Jordan can't go down that road to identify what kind of evil this is, because then he'd be in danger of being, what's the word? Woke. And if you're a Republican politician, you're afraid of being woke, you’re afraid that once you're woke, you have to give up on having sex on your gas stove while fantasizing about the sexy green M&M," he added.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Colbert began his monologue by mocking Jordan for refusing to take action against what they both agreed was "evil."
"But of course, everyone wants someone to do something about evil. There’s a reason Batman doesn’t look over Gotham and say, "woof, real mess down there. I don’t like the look of that clown. Anywho, whaddya gonna do! Guess I’ll go to the Batcave and play Mario Kart with Robin," Colbert joked.
Memphis Police Department Officers Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith were terminated on Jan. 18 for their role in the arrest of deceased Tyre Nichols. (Memphis Police Department)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC legal analyst Paul Butler similarly accused congressional Republicans on Friday of standing in the way of "passing legislation that would make a difference" in situations like Nichols’ case. However, many conservative social media users pointed out that Sen. Tim Scott’s, R-S.C., own police reform bill, the "Justice Act," was stopped by Senate Democrats in 2020.