On Friday night’s episode of “The Late Show,” Stephen Colbert opened his monologue by pummeling Donald Trump and the rest of the Republicans for trying to act like they haven’t spent years trying to repeal Obamacare and ensure that health insurance providers didn’t have to provide coverage for pre-existing conditions.
“Polls indicate that health care is the number one issue for voters. That shows how hopeful Americans are. Donald Trump is president, and they still want to live,” Colbert quipped. “Good for you. Good for you.
“Americans like certain aspects of Obamacare a lot. A recent poll showed a full 90 percent of people said it was either somewhat or very important that the law protect people with pre-existing conditions. 90 percent! Nothing in America is that popular. That’s the Tom Hanks with fudge sauce of Obamacare provisions.”
After driving that point home, Colbert then took aim at Republicans, who have very much not operated as though they have any interest in protecting coverage of pre-existing conditions even though many of them are now trying to say they do.
“But that’s awkward for Republicans, since they have voted to repeal Obamacare at least 70 times. Of course, Republicans in Congress were doing it to please their biggest donor,” Colbert joked, as an image of the Grim Reaper wearing a MAGA hat appeared on screen. “But with public sentiment so against them, the GOP came up with an entirely new health care plan: lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie.
“And it starts at the top. Two days ago, Trump tweeted this: ‘Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not! Vote Republican.’ What the hell? Does Donald Trump think we’ve been in a coma for two years? We’re not covered for that. He spent most of his presidency trying to repeal Obamacare until one man stopped him.”
Colbert is referring to John McCain, whose deciding vote killed Mitch McConnell’s Obamacare repeal bill last year. Then “The Late Show” played a clip of Trump talking about that vote, saying that “I would’ve gotten rid of everything” had McCain not voted against that bill.
“Yes, he would have gotten rid of everything, and ‘everything’ includes coverage for pre-existing conditions he just swore that he would save,” Colbert said. “Nothing Trump is saying is true, but he doesn’t care. ‘Sure, every word out of my mouth is a lie. But you knew that when you elected me. I’m a pre-existing condition.’ And it’s not just the president. Republicans are saying this all over the place.”
Next up was a brief montage of Republicans Rick Scott, Brian Kemp and Ted Cruz insisting vociferously that they definitely are all about coverage of pre-existing conditions. The Cruz clip saw the senator go so far as to declare that “everyone agrees we’re going to protect pre-existing conditions.”
“Oh, yeah, senator Cruz, everyone agrees,” Colbert said. “Except you, because you filibustered for 21 hours to try to completely eliminate all of Obamacare. Remember this?”
Then “The Late Show” played a clip of Cruz reading part of the Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham” during his filibuster. “Do you like green eggs and ham? I do not like them, Sam I am. I do not like green eggs and ham!”
And then Colbert finished the rhyme with a twist of his own.
“I will not eat them in a box. I will not eat them with a fox. I will not eat them with a fork. You should vote for Beto O’Rourke,” Colbert said.
You can watch this portion of Colbert’s monologue from Friday’s “The Late Show” in the video embedded at the top of this post.