In a scathing segment on The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert delivered a blistering critique of former President Donald Trump, targeting his unfulfilled promise to release documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his recent confrontation with an autoworker.
Colbert's Scorching Monologue on Trump's Unkept Promise
During his Wednesday night monologue, Colbert zeroed in on a core contradiction of Trump's 2024 campaign. The former president and his allies had repeatedly vowed that, if elected, they would release all files concerning the late Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender who was once a close associate of Trump's.
"Where are the Epstein files?" Colbert bluntly asked his audience, to immediate and loud applause. "Where are they?" He pointed out that instead of fulfilling this promise, Trump and his team have spent the past year actively working to block the disclosure of those very records.
The Autoworker Incident and a 'National Bird' Jibe
Colbert tied this failure to a recent viral moment from Trump's tour of a Ford facility in Detroit. There, an autoworker shouted "pedophile protector" at the former president, who responded by giving the man the middle finger.
"You got to hand it to that autoworker for getting under Trump’s skin like compound butter on a Thanksgiving turkey," Colbert joked. He then quipped that with the gesture, Trump had "designated a new national bird." Colbert directly linked the protester's taunt to the unresolved Epstein document issue, stating, "And all because he brought up the Epstein files."
Congress Acts, But Justice Department Lags
The late-night host reminded viewers that Congress ultimately defied Trump's efforts at obstruction. Lawmakers ordered the release of the Epstein files by December 19, 2025. However, Colbert noted that the Justice Department has still not fully complied with this mandate.
"You signed a law mandating that you would have to release the Epstein files by the middle of last month, but you still haven't," Colbert said, addressing the president directly through the camera. He then circled back to the two words that provoked Trump in Detroit: "It kind of makes you seem like a... what's the phrase? Pedophile protector!" The audience erupted in cheers once more, capping off a segment that blended sharp political satire with a serious question about transparency and accountability.
