Stephen Colbert Takes Aim at Donald Trump’s Georgia Calls: It’s Like “If Watergate and the Ukraine Scandal Had a Baby”

By Claire Spellberg @c_spellberg
Published Jan. 5, 2021, 9:53 a.m. ET

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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

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Stephen Colbert is returning from his holiday hiatus with a vengeance. Last night, The Late Show aired its first episode of 2021, and its beloved host wasted no time before tearing into President Trump‘s desperate call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. But it wasn’t just the one phone call that captured Colbert’s attention: it was Trump’s 18 previous attempts to contact Raffensperger, as reported by CNN, that really delighted him, and he had the receipts (well, spoof voicemails) to prove it. Welcome back, Colbert!

Colbert opened Monday’s show with an in-depth monologue about Trump’s call to Raffensperger, audio of which was released by the Washington Post on Sunday afternoon. “Buckle up, everybody. Because this call is like if Watergate and the Ukraine scandal had a baby that they made on the Access Hollywood bus,” said The Late Show host. He proceeded to riff on Trump’s repeated requests for Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” in his favor to overturn Joe Biden’s win in the state, as well as his threats that refusing to do so would be “a criminal offense.” Joked Colbert, “That is a big risk. I mean, you could end up being the president’s cellmate!”

“Listening to this call really makes you feel for the guys on the receiving end,” he continued. “I’m guessing that Raffensperger knew what was coming because before they finally connected on Saturday, the White House made 18 attempts to call him. In fact, A Late Show has acquired audio of the president’s first 17 calls to Raffensperger.”

The show then played portions of Trump’s call intercut with some of his other favorite catchphrases. “Brad… guess who? Dead people voted,” said one voicemail. “Me again. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up,” he says in another. “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. Brad. Pick up the phone!” he expounds in another.

Finally, Raffensperger’s voicemail inbox shuts the rant down. “The mailbox you’re trying to reach is full… of crap,” it reveals. That it is.

Check out Colbert’s spoof voicemails — and a musical tribute to the president’s many messages — above.

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