Stephen Colbert started off his show Wednesday night condemning the Alexandria shooting where Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise and four other people were shot after a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, before we get started, I just want to take a moment to talk about the attack today in Alexandria, Virginia,” “The Late Show” host told his audience, before praising President Donald Trump and other lawmakers for their response following the shooting. (RELATED: Melania Trump Thanks First Responders After Baseball Practice Shooting)
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“Once again, we’re all shocked in mind and soul by a mass shooting, this time targeting, apparently, a Republican congressmen,” he added. “And I pray to God that everyone pulls through. Violence of any kind is never justified and is the last refuge of the incompetent. Thankfully, none of the members or their staff or police were killed today.”
“And I will say this, even in the horror of this day, there was reason to take heart in bipartisan responses like this,” he continued before playing a sound bite of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan talking about being unified.
“So I just want to say thank you to the congressional leadership and to the president for responding to this act of terror in a way that gives us hope that whatever our differences, we will always be the United States of America,” Colbert said. “Thank you for that.”
After the shooting Trump called for unity.
“We may have our differences, but we do well in times like this to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because, above all, they love our country,” Trump said. “We can all agree we are blessed to be Americans. We are strongest when we are unified and when we work together for the common good.
The late night host has been very outspoken against the president ever since he took office.