Furious Stephen Colbert on the U.S. Capitol siege: "I’ve rarely been as upset as I am tonight"

The Late Show host seemed to choke back tears as he denounced Wednesday's pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, blaming the president, Fox News, Republican members of Congress and specifically Sen. Josh Hawley. “I really want to do the show we’re about to do,” Colbert began his "unexpectedly" live show. “And I also really don’t want to do the show. Because Lord have mercy, there are some dark topics that we talk about on the show occasionally, but I’ve rarely been as upset as I am tonight.” Colbert started off blaming Republican members of Congress. “Have you had enough? After five years of coddling this president’s fascist rhetoric, guess whose followers want to burn down the Reichstag?” he asked. “Who could have seen this coming? Everyone! Even dummies like me. This is the most shocking, most tragic, least surprising thing I’ve ever seen. For years now, people have been telling you cowards that if you let the president lie about our democracy over and over and then join him in that lie and say he’s right when you know for a fact that he is not, there will be a terrible price to pay. But you just never thought you’d have to pay it too.” Colbert singled out Hawley, the most vocal Republican U.S. senator objecting to Joe Biden's victory, who was photographed “raising your stupid fist to the mob outside the Capitol. It’s like Black Power but the opposite. There really should be a name for that. And obviously he has to keep his fist closed, because if he opened it you’d see all the blood on his hands.” Colbert then took on Fox News. “You think maybe years of peddling his conspiracy theories had anything to do with this?” Colbert asked, mocking the network for claiming its “news” and “opinion” sides are different to make a profit for "Uncle Rupey," Rupert Murdoch. Like the “lubricated catheters” they sell during the ad breaks, Colbert said, “You know where you can stick your excuses and you can skip the lubrication.” Colbert then focused on the next election in 2022, “when all of those Republicans, who, make no mistake, are responsible for what happened today and are running for reelection,” he said, “let’s remember them for who they showed themselves to be today: cynical cowards who believe the voters should not get to choose who governs this country. Let’s hope the voters prove them all wrong.”

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• Jimmy Kimmel calls the insurrection the "treason finale," saying "it was a terrible day in the history of our country": “This was one of those days that I always assumed was behind us," said Kimmel in his monologue. "This was not the sort of thing I ever imagined would happen in this country – in my lifetime. The President of the United States – because he is too angry, too insecure and too incompetent – to deal with the fact that he lost an election – a fair election – an election that was no different than any other election – an election he lost by seven million votes – and 70 electors – turns an angry mob – against members of Congress – and his own Vice President. Not to mention endangering the Capitol police.  Those blue lives he claims matter so much to him.” Kimmel also called out Republican U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz for their "election charade. "(They) lit these fires to start a war, just to distract us from the fact that Donald Trump lost the election," he said. “These people are not Americans. There is no ‘we the people’, there is ‘me the people’ and that’s it. The wildest part is these MAGA marchers think Donald Trump cares about them. He doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about your wife, or your job or your healthcare or the air you breathe, the water you drink.  He cares about himself. And only about himself. Unless you were pushing a lawnmower, he wouldn’t let you into his golf club. He’d roll his limo right over you to get a Chik-Fil-A sandwich.”
• Seth Meyers calls for President Trump to be "immediately removed from office": "I think it's important, as the first draft of history is being written, and as we're all processing what we witnessed today, to be as plain-spoken and clear-eyed as possible," the Late Night host said during his live monologue Wednesday night. "What we saw today was a violent insurgency, an attempt to overthrow the legitimately elected government of the United States. And it was incited, directed, and encouraged by the president Donald Trump, and more than a few members of the Republican party and right-wing media." Meyers then turned to the president. "As for Trump, the only way — the only way our democracy will survive this harrowing moment, is if he is immediately removed from office by either the cabinet or the Congress, and prosecuted," Meyers said. "Anything less is tacit permission to continue to use his office, and his influence after he leaves office, to foment sedition and dismantle democracy."
• Jimmy Fallon says Wednesday's siege "was not patriotism, today was terrorism": “Today was a disgrace, today was disappointing but sadly today was not a surprise,” Fallon said on The Tonight Show, before sharing an important message: “It’s important to remember this is not who we ware. I assure you there are more good people than there are bad. Good will prevail."
• A teary-eyed James Corden feels hopeful after a "crazy, sad" day: "I hope when the dust settles, and we reflect on what's happened on this awful day, that we still have hope," Corden said on The Late Late Show. "Because I think if there is one thing we can have, after the last month in this country, is hope."