Colbert's Dig at Trump Called 'Homophobic'

Stephen Colbert has directed plenty of insults at President Trump, but a critic says one delivered during his Late Show monologue on Monday was "disgusting even for him." It's a sentiment being seconded by many. After noting Trump insulted Face the Nation's John Dickerson before abruptly ending an interview with him, Colbert, nearing the end of his monologue, said he felt compelled to throw insults back at Trump, which he then did. "You attract more skinheads than free Rogaine. You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign language gorilla who got hit in the head," he said, per Variety. "In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c--- holster."

That final comment, which received a roar from the audience, sparked a #FireColbert hashtag on Twitter with users calling it "homophobic." TMZ also called it "a seriously homophobic punchline," while Karl Rove, appearing on Fox News, said it was "obscene, lewd, and shows how out of touch that part of the media is with the rest of America," per Deadline. Others, including among the LGBT community, maintained the comment was not homophobic. Either way, Callum Borchers at the Washington Post says that "by hitting below the belt," Colbert "became the latest liberal to ignore [Michelle] Obama's 'go high' mantra." Colbert and CBS have not commented. (See what Colbert had to say about Bill O'Reilly.)