WELCOME.
WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO "THE LATE SHOW."
I AM YOUR HOST STEPHEN COLBERT.
WELL, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THE NUMBER ONE STORY IN AMERICA
IS AND WILL BE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE THE MUELLER
REPORT, AND JUST LIKE THE MUELLER REPORT, WE ARE WRONG
ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THIS MORNING, WE
LEARNED THAT, FOR SOME REASON, "CHARGES HAVE BEEN DROPPED
AGAINST 'EMPIRE' ACTOR JUSSIE SMOLLETT."
( BOOING ) >> Jon: YEAH.
>> Stephen: MAN, BILL BARR HAS BEEN BUSY.
( LAUGHTER ) FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T
BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY, LET ME CATCH YOU UP --
I DUNNO.
( LAUGHTER ) I DUNNO WHAT'S GOING ON.
DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
( APPLAUSE ) THERE'S ONE THING, ANOTHER
THING, ANOTHER THING AGAIN.
BUT HERE'S THE DEAL -- FIRST, SMOLLETT TOLD POLICE HE HAD BEEN
THE VICTIM OF A HATE CRIME IN WHICH TWO WHITE MEN HAD ATTACKED
HIM AND SHOUTED RACIST AND HOMOPHOBIC SLURS.
BUT IT TURNED OUT, HIS ACTUAL ASSAILANTS WERE TWO NIGERIAN
BROTHERS WHO SAY SMOLLETT HIRED THEM TO CARRY OUT THE ATTACK,
PAYING THEM BY CHECK.
( LAUGHTER ) SO EMBARRASSING, ESPECIALLY
SINCE HE USED ONE OF THOSE DESIGNER CHECKS WITH A PICTURE
OF MICKEY PAYING GOOFY TO HIT HIM WITH A 2-BY-4.
( LAUGHTER ) A COUPLE OF BUCKS.
BUT EVEN AFTER THE CHECK, AND VIDEO EVIDENCE, AND CONFLICTING
WITNESS STATEMENTS-- NO ONE IS EXACTLY SURE WHAT HAPPENED, OR
WHY IT HAPPENED.
HE SAID IT WAS A HATE CRIME, AND I BELIEVE IT.
BECAUSE I HATE TALKING ABOUT THIS STORY.
( LAUGHTER ) SMOLLETT HAS MAINTAINED THAT HE
IS A VICTIM, AND SAID THAT TODAY'S DECISION VINDICATES HIM.
BUT OTHER PEOPLE AREN'T SO SURE.
FOR INSTANCE, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT EDDIE JOHNSON --
>> SO, LISTEN, I'M SURE WE ALL KNOW WHAT OCCURRED THIS MORNING.
MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT YOU ALL KNOW WHERE I STAND ON THIS.
DO I THINK JUSTICE WAS SERVED?
NO.
WHAT DO I THINK JUSTICE IS?
I THINK THIS CITY IS STILL OWED AN APOLOGY.
>> STEPHEN: REALLY?
THAT'S ALL YOU WANT?
( LAUGHTER ) I DIDN'T KNOW THE CHICAGO POLICE
WERE SO FORGIVING.
( LAUGHTER ) (CHICAGO ACCENT)
"LOOK, SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT AL CAPONE, BUT AFTER THE
VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE, HE SENT THE STATION A NICE EDIBLE
ARRANGEMENT.
LITTLE STUFFED BEAR AND EVERYTHING.
TOTAL CLASS.
AL CAPONE, HE'D PICK YOU UP AT THE AIRPORT.
GOOD GUY."
( LAUGHTER ) CHICAGO MAYOR RAHM EMMANUEL ALSO
IS NOT HAPPY.
>> THIS IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, A WHITEWASH OF JUSTICE, AND SENDS
A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT IF YOU'RE IN A POSITION OF INFLUENCE AND
POWER, YOU'LL GET TREATED ONE WAY.
OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE TREATED ANOTHER WAY.
THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY, THEN, IN THE SYSTEM.
IT IS WRONG, FULL STOP.
>> STEPHEN: YES, IT'S WRONG.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, ISN'T THIS A HOPEFUL SIGN FOR AMERICA,
THAT REGARDLESS OF RACE OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ALL RICH,
FAMOUS PEOPLE GET OFF EASY?
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
IT'S HOPEFUL.
IT'S HOPEFUL, JON.
>> Jon: THERE'S A MESSAGE OF HOPE, I GUESS, YES.
>> Stephen: I BELIEVE IT WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING WHO SAID, "I
HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY, THE SONS OF FORMER
SLAVES AND THE SONS OF FORMER SLAVE-OWNERS WILL HIRE THE VERY
BEST PUBLICISTS TO LEVERAGE THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILE,
ESCAPE CHARGES, AND THEN MAKE A BIG COMEBACK ON 'THE MASKED
SINGER!'" ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
DIFFERENT SPEECH.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT SPEECH.
>> Jon: I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
NOW, SMOLLETT SAYS HE'S TOTALLY INNOCENT, BUT THE PROSECUTOR
JUST CAME OUT AND SAID, "THE FACT THAT SMOLLETT FEELS THAT WE
HAVE EXONERATED HIM-- WE HAVE NOT.
I CAN'T MAKE IT ANY CLEARER THAN THAT."
( LAUGHTER ) BUT SMOLLETT'S SPOKESMAN WAS
DEFIANT.
>> IT WAS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL EXONERATION.