The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Guest: Jake Tapper
Episode: "Jake Tapper | Silenced Night"
Date: September 19, 2025
Main Theme:
A sharply satirical and pointed exploration of government interference in media, the erosion of free speech protections in the Trump era, and the chilling effect on late-night comedy and journalism, with CNN’s Jake Tapper offering historical and present-day context.

Episode Overview

This episode dives headfirst into the controversial removal of Jimmy Kimmel from ABC following comments critical of the Trump administration, dissecting what it reveals about government influence over media, the First Amendment, and the precarious state of free expression in modern America. Stephen Colbert, both as himself and his iconic “Colbert Report” persona, employs biting wit to spotlight absurdities and dangers in rising media censorship. Jake Tapper joins to provide further clarity on constitutional implications and historical context.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Censorship of Jimmy Kimmel (03:41–14:03)

• ABC’s Sudden Removal of Kimmel:
  After threats from Trump’s FCC chair, Brendan Carr, ABC indefinitely pulls Jimmy Kimmel from the air. Colbert characterizes this as “blatant censorship” and frames it as a worrying escalation in government influence over free speech.

  “If ABC thinks that this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive… clearly they've never read the children's book if you give a mouse a Kimmel.” (Stephen Colbert, 04:23)

• Brendan Carr’s Threats:
  Carr appears on a podcast, urging networks to preempt Kimmel’s show, invoking “community values” and implying that further noncompliance risks FCC action.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” (Brendan Carr, as paraphrased by Colbert, 06:16)

• Corporate Capitulation:
  Nexstar (which owns 32 ABC affiliates and needs FCC approval for a merger) immediately halts airing Kimmel’s show, revealing the power dynamic between political regulators and business interests.

  “A company apparently capitulating to the whims of the President in order to ensure their merger goes through.” (Colbert, 08:20)

• Disney’s Corporate Entanglements:
  Colbert lampoons the tangled web of mergers, highlighting Disney’s need for FCC approval for its ESPN and NFL Network deal—another lever of presidential influence.
• Public, Political, and Presidential Reactions:
  Trump overtly justifies broadcaster threats: “They’re licensed, they’re not allowed to do that.” (13:00) Colbert demonstrates the historical normalcy of presidential ribbing on late-night, contrasting it with the current regime’s intolerance.

2. Satire as Resistance (16:10–21:28)

• “Colbert Report” Persona Returns:
  As a self-described “conservative ombudsman,” Colbert parodies the tendency to silence dissent, mocking the expectation that talk show hosts “just repeat the approved message from the White House.”

  “You can have your rights just as long as you don’t use them.” (Colbert-as-Colbert Report, 18:18) “Just shut up and take it… And if you think that’s a terrible idea, no, you don’t. And that’s the word.” (Colbert, 21:18)

• George Washington Parody:
  “Sometimes, you have to destroy freedom to save it.” Colbert’s hyperbolic satire underlines the Orwellian doublespeak of using free speech rhetoric to actually undermine it.

3. Interview with Jake Tapper (22:50–36:48)

a. Is This a First Amendment Issue? (22:50–25:37)

• Technical and Practical Concerns:
  Tapper clarifies the typical First Amendment scope—restrictions on Congress—but notes that the President and FCC’s “behind closed doors” pressure is an abuse of executive power with direct free speech implications.

  “This is…a direct violation of the First Amendment because it is the government telling companies what to do with the implicit threat…” (Tapper, 25:20)

b. FCC’s Politicization & Unprecedented Actions (25:37–27:13)

• Tapper highlights that independent agencies (like the FCC) have never before coordinated such direct action to silence specific speech or speakers.
• He underscores the hypocrisy of the administration’s self-proclaimed “free speech absolutism.”

  “I have never seen an FTC chairman call for a direct action by local affiliates to…remove a speaker and speech that they don’t like. And it’s chilling. It’s…the exact opposite of…free speech champions.” (Tapper, 25:59)

c. Historical Context & Press Freedom (27:13–28:31)

• Tapper shares the history of Benjamin Franklin Bache, the founding father’s grandson and a press freedom pioneer, tying it to a larger American tradition of journalistic criticism—even at personal risk.
• He draws a direct line from John Adams' Alien and Sedition Act to today, noting how every president has had “an uneasy relationship with the press, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

d. The Dangers of Normalizing Executive Overreach (30:17–34:22)

• Colbert and Tapper discuss the long-term consequences of allowing the executive to exercise unchecked power over media.

  “Once a president finds a new toy…the next president likes to use it, maybe even more so.” (Tapper, 30:50)

• Tapper warns that both parties are likely to exploit such powers, undermining democracy.

e. Corporate Motivations & Chilling Effect on Journalism (34:00–35:15)

• Tapper laments how corporate interests, driven by business entanglements and government leverage, effectively place journalists and creatives at the mercy of political whims.

  “We all have to keep our head down and…report the news and be fair and honest and truthful. That job has not stopped… But the money has an impact.” (Tapper, 34:22)

f. Tapper’s Book “Race Against Terror” (35:15–36:47)

• Tapper plugs his new nonfiction book about an anti-terror operation in Europe, highlighting themes of international law, justice, and the difficulty of balancing national security with constitutional protections.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colbert (on Disney-ABC’s defensive maneuvering):
  “As one source at ABC put it, they were pissing themselves all day. On the bright side, that proves Disney is number one in streaming.” (09:50)
• Tapper (on the chilling effect):
  “If we do not have the ability to criticize, mock, investigate our leaders, then we are no longer the United States of America.” (27:13)
• Colbert Report persona:
  “You have a responsibility to do more than just censor yourself. You need to turn in your friends, write down what they say, get them fired. Then a true patriot can take their job saying nothing on TV.” (18:45)
• Colbert (on presidential overreach):
  “Once a president has a certain power, the next president is not gonna give up that power.” (30:47)
• Tapper (on corporate motivations):
  “…corporate chieftains who have $900 million but want 950 million …are acquiescing to this because the power that President Trump and his team have is the power of the FCC or…Justice Department.” (32:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:41–14:03 — Monologue: Censorship of Kimmel, FCC threats, industry fallout
• 16:10–21:28 — Satirical “Colbert Report” segment on self-censorship and obedience
• 22:50–28:31 — Start of Jake Tapper interview, First Amendment discussion, FCC’s role, media history
• 30:17–35:15 — Dangers of executive power, chilling effects, corporate motivations
• 35:15–36:47 — Tapper describes his new nonfiction book, “Race Against Terror”

Tone & Language

• Colbert’s Style: Biting, self-effacing satire, lampooning the absurdity of autocracy and sycophancy in media, with moments of sincere alarm at threats to democracy.
• Tapper’s Style: Measured, historically aware, with occasional wry humor and deep concern for the state of press freedom.

Conclusion

The episode deftly combines satirical and earnest analysis to expose the real-world dangers of government overreach into media, laying bare the hypocrisy of power and the cowardice of corporate complicity. Through comedic reflection and journalistic candor, it asks whether Americans will recognize this constitutional crisis before it’s too late—a message aimed both to amuse and to galvanize.