Stephen Colbert in Hot Water Over ‘Homophobic’ Donald Trump Joke

MAY 2, 2017 | 01:15PM PT

“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert is facing backlash for a joke he made about President Donald Trump on Monday night that many are calling “homophobic.”

During his opening monologue, Colbert went off on Trump over the President’s treatment of CBS News’ John Dickerson, who saw an interview with Trump abruptly ended when he asked about the President’s unproven claims that then-President Obama had wiretapped Trump and members of his campaign. As Dickerson and Colbert are both CBS employees, Colbert felt it his duty to say the things Dickerson himself could not.

“Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine,” Colbert said near the end of the insult-laden rant. “You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign language gorilla that got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c–k holster.” The final remark has drawn the internet’s ire, with viewers taking to social media to declare Colbert is homophobic.The hashtag #FireColbert began spreading around Twitter, along with calls for people to boycott sponsors of the late-night show.

CBS did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.

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Of course, this is not the first time Colbert has been the subject of a campaign to get him pulled off the air. Back in 2014 when he was hosting “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, that show’s official Twitter account posted a message saying, ““I am willing to show Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever.” The tweet was meant to satirize Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snider, who started a charity to benefit Native Americans. Many perceived the tweet as a racist assault on Asians and Asian-Americans, leading to the creation of the hashtag #CancelColbert. Colbert reveled in the controversy, however, even promoting it on future episodes of “The Colbert Report.”

If and how he will respond to the current firestorm remains to be seen. Read some of the reactions to Colbert’s joke below.