Stephen Colbert threw shade at the Democratic National Convention audience’s hypocrisy toward billionaires after the crowd cheered for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ anti-oligarch remarks but then celebrated Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for flexing his billionaire status at Donald Trump.
“Bernie got us psyched up for attacking billionaires, but we like this guy! It’s an emotional and moral rollercoaster,” Colbert said, mocking the audience in his opening monologue for “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” as he recapped night two of the DNC.
At the time, the host was highlighting the most popular speeches of the night when he pointed out the similar reactions to Pritzker and Sanders, despite the two politicians having opposing backgrounds and ideologies when it comes to the wealth gap in the U.S.
“The Vermont senator and technically ‘not Democrat’ Bernie Sanders delivered a message to the billionaire class,” Colbert said before the show played a clip of Sander’s speech from the night.
“The oligarchs told us we shouldn’t take on price gauging, we shouldn’t expand medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision,” Sanders said. “And we shouldn’t increase social security benefits for struggling seniors. Well, I’ve got some bad news for them.”
Colbert came back in with a little impression of Sanders, throwing in a Ben & Jerry’s gag while he was at it.
“I’ve got some bad news for them: I came to sip soup and tax billionaires, and I’m all out of soup. Oligarchs, and this is what I believe. And this, and here’s the thing, Here’s the thing: oligarchs, meet my two friends from Vermont, Ben and Jerry. And, I’m giving out free scoops,” Colbert joked.
Colbert then took on Pritzker.
“And of course, since we’re here in Chicago for the convention, we had to hear from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who went right for Trump’s jugular,” Colbert said before throwing to a video of Pritzker from the night. The politician and businessman slammed Trump’s bank account and boasted his own $3.5 billion net worth.
“Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich,” Pritzker said. “But take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity.”
“Wooo, woo, woo, woo, ahhh, woo, ahh!” Colbert said as he impersonated people’s reactions to Pritzker’s words. “I love Pritzker, I love Pritzker, but every time he appears on stage I think his first words are going to be ‘yabba dabba doo.’ It’s a living.”
Night three of the convention kicks off Wednesday night at 4 p.m. PST. Set to take the stage are Minnesota Gov. and Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and more.
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