Stephen Colbert Addresses 'Late Show' Staffers Arrest: 'Very Unpleasant'

On Monday night, Stephen Colbert addressed the arrest of his "Late Show" staff at the U.S. Capitol last week.

As reported by Deadline, Stephen explained that the Capitol police were just doing their job and that although it was a "very unpleasant" experience for his staff, everyone remained "very calm" during the ordeal, despite the fact that Fox News reportedly claimed that his staffers "committed insurrection."

On Monday night, Colbert told his audience, “The Capitol police were just doing their job, my staff was just doing their job, everyone was very professional, everyone was very calm. My staffers were detained, processed, and released."

He added that it was "a very unpleasant experience for my staff" and went on to say that it was a "simple story" until Fox News “started claiming that my puppet squad had committed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building.”

Colbert expressed shock at the news, especially considering that his staff reportedly weren't in the Capitol building at all.

“First of all: what? Second of all: huh? Third of all, they weren’t in the Capitol building," Colbert points out. "Fourth of all and I’m shocked I have to explain the difference, but an insurrection involves interrupting the lawful action of Congress and howling for the blood of elected leaders, all to prevent the peaceful transfer of power."

"This was first-degree puppetry," he added.

During his show, Stephen Colbert jokingly claimed that it was all Conan O'Brien's fault. Robert Smigel, the voice and creator of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, was among those arrested. Triumph had originally started out on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" before making his way to Colbert's show.

"It’s predictable why these TV talkers are talking like this," Colbert went on. "They want to talk about something other than the January 6 hearings, the actual seditionist insurrection that led to the deaths of multiple people and the injury of over 140 police officers."

"But drawing any equivalency between a rioter storming the Capitol to prevent the counting of electoral ballots and a cigar chomping toy dog is a shameful and grotesque insult to the memory of everyone who died and obscenely trivializes the service and the courage the Capitol police showed on that terrible day," he continued. "But who knows? Maybe there was a vast conspiracy to overthrow the government of the U.S. with a rubber rottweiler.”

As The Blast previously reported, Capitol Police charged a group of seven staffers with unlawful entry after answering "a call for a disturbance" in the Longworth building around 8:30 PM last Thursday. Reports indicate that the staff members took videos and pictures around the offices of two Republican Congress members, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Lauren Boebert.

“Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway,” the Capitol Police said in a statement. “The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day.”

They added, "This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney."

Their full statement can be seen below:

“On June 16, 2022, at approximately 8:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) received a call for a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building.  Responding officers observed seven individuals, unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway.  The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day.  They were charged with Unlawful Entry.  This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney.”

In a statement Friday night, CBS said that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and other staffers were “on-site at the Capitol with a production team” on June 15 and 16, recording interviews for the show. They claimed that the interviews were "authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aids."

The full statement from CBS can be read below:

“On Wednesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 16, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was on-site at the Capitol with a production team to record interviews for a comedy segment on behalf of The Late Show.”

“Their interviews at the Capitol were authorized and pre-arranged through Congressional aides of the members interviewed.”

“After leaving the members’ offices on their last interview of the day, the production team stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.”