Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) sparked controversy with a bizarre Fox News rant about Stephen Colbert and former President Barack Obama, suggesting the two are so close they should “get a motel room.” The comments came during an interview on “The Will Cain Show,” following Colbert’s announcement that he would interview Obama one last time before his CBS program ends.
Kennedy’s Criticism of Colbert and Obama
“I also got a kick out of Mr. Colbert,” Kennedy said. “He and President Obama are obviously best buds. Maybe they ought to get a motel room or something. They were just fawning all over each other.” The senator added that he has “nothing against Mr. Colbert” but has “always thought that he was shallow as a puddle.” Kennedy claimed Colbert’s “personal vanity has always been unshakable.”
Kennedy then shifted to Colbert’s ratings, arguing that the host’s “problem” is not vanity but viewership. “He was losing CBS $40 million a year because nobody was watching, so CBS told him to sit his 50-cent ass down and they said, ‘You’re fired,’” Kennedy said, referencing the show’s cancellation. CBS previously stated the decision was “purely a financial decision,” announced after Colbert criticized CBS parent company Paramount Global for settling a $16 million lawsuit with Trump.
Reaction to Interview Content
Kennedy also took issue with the interview’s content, where Obama discussed U.S. democracy under Trump and praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “I always thought President Obama was a capitalist,” Kennedy said. “He certainly seems to have an affinity for Mayor Mamdani, and Mayor Mamdani is a socialist. He calls himself a democratic socialist but that’s a socialist that believes in obtaining socialism through the ballot box.”
Mamdani’s campaign focused on social safety nets, including free bus rides, affordable housing, and city-owned grocery stores, leading to his upset victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The final episode of “The Late Show” airs May 21 on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET.
