Sen. Adam Schiff | Feeling The Heat

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Episode: Senator Adam Schiff | Feeling The Heat
Release Date: July 18, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Senator Adam Schiff. The discussion delves into the current political climate, the strategies of both the Democratic and Republican parties, and the broader implications for American democracy. This summary captures the essence of their dialogue, highlighting key topics, insightful exchanges, and notable quotes with timestamps for reference.

Monologue Highlights

Stephen Colbert opens the episode with a heartfelt announcement regarding the future of The Late Show. At [00:17], he reveals, “Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the late show in May.” Colbert expresses deep gratitude towards the CBS team, the network, and his dedicated audience, emphasizing the end of an era for late-night television.

He humorously transitions to current events, addressing the extreme heatwave affecting the United States. At [04:09], Colbert quips, “Temperatures hit triple digits in Nevada and California... The threat of dehydration led the National Weather Service to recommend that Americans in 11 states avoid alcohol and caffeine.” His witty commentary sets the tone for an engaging and informative episode.

Interview with Senator Adam Schiff

Background and Recent Election

Senator Adam Schiff, a recently elected U.S. Senator from California, joins Colbert at [18:49]. Colbert acknowledges Schiff’s transition from the House of Representatives to the Senate, noting, “Just last fall, he was elected to the Senate.” The conversation quickly pivots to Schiff’s approach to representing a diverse constituency.

Bridging the Political Divide

At [19:16], Colbert asks Schiff about his interactions with constituents in California’s red districts. Schiff responds thoughtfully:
"I met with the Farm Bureau, a very conservative group... I wanted to represent you. I want to fight for you in the Senate." ([19:23]) He shares a pivotal moment from his meeting in Butte County, illustrating his efforts to connect with and understand the concerns of conservative voters.

Schiff emphasizes the importance of personal connection in bridging political divides:
"People aren't going to vote for you... if they think you look down on them or condescend to them or even worse, you're not interested and you're just indifferent to them." ([21:00])

Democratic Socialism and Party Messaging

The conversation shifts to the rise of Democratic Socialism within the party. At [24:23], Colbert inquires about the recent appeal of figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). Schiff responds:
"They are vigorous challengers against the status quo. They recognize the status quo just sucks for working people, and they're not afraid to say so." ([24:20]) He argues that the appeal lies in their authenticity and boldness in addressing economic disparities.

Schiff warns against the party being perceived as complacent with the status quo:
"If we're going to win the midterms and we're going to take back the White House, we cannot be seen as the party of the status quo." ([25:46]) He advocates for Democrats to adopt a message reminiscent of FDR and LBJ, focusing on caring for farmers, marginalized communities, and ensuring economic stability for all.

Impact of Donald Trump’s Presidency

At [27:18], Colbert asks Schiff about the differences observed six months into President Trump’s second term. Schiff provides a stark analysis:
"He wants to create a climate of fear. And he is succeeding." ([27:25]) He elaborates on how Trump’s strategies have intensified, making various institutions and individuals feel threatened, thereby consolidating his influence through intimidation.

Congressional Actions and the Rescission Bill

The discussion progresses to recent legislative actions, specifically the Senate’s passage of a rescission bill. At [28:44], Colbert seeks clarification on this legislative move. Schiff explains:
"The rescission bill is like a mini reconciliation bill... they cut funding for AIDS and tuberculosis and malaria and public broadcasting and NPR." ([28:56]) He criticizes the maneuver as an overreach of executive power, highlighting how it undermines Congress’s authority by retracting already allocated funds.

Schiff underscores the significance of the “power of the purse”:
"Congress is absolutely giving its power away... we have the power, if we use it to say, hey, Donald Trump, we're not going to let you lay off all these people." ([30:09]) He argues that defunding executive initiatives is crucial to maintaining checks and balances within the government.

Personal Attacks and Political Violence

Addressing the increase in political hostility, Schiff shares his experiences with threats:
"I can't find a member of the House or Senate that hasn't gotten death threats." ([31:06]) He elaborates on the pervasive climate of fear that extends beyond political opponents to judges, city council members, and election workers. Schiff emphasizes the need for resilience and opposition to intimidation tactics.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reaffirmation of the importance of combating fear and maintaining democratic integrity. Senator Adam Schiff’s insights provide a sobering look at the current political landscape, emphasizing the necessity for active and authentic representation. Stephen Colbert adeptly navigates these critical discussions, offering listeners a blend of humor and insightful political analysis.

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Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Colbert ([19:23]): “I want to represent you. I want to fight for you in the Senate.”
• Senator Adam Schiff ([21:00]): “People aren't going to vote for you... if they think you look down on them or condescend to them or even worse, you're not interested and you're just indifferent to them.”
• Senator Adam Schiff ([24:20]): “They are vigorous challengers against the status quo. They recognize the status quo just sucks for working people, and they're not afraid to say so.”
• Senator Adam Schiff ([27:25]): “He wants to create a climate of fear. And he is succeeding.”
• Senator Adam Schiff ([30:09]): “Congress is absolutely giving its power away... we have the power, if we use it to say, hey, Donald Trump, we're not going to let you lay off all these people.”

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This episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert offers a deep dive into the strategies and challenges facing contemporary American politics, featuring an expert perspective from Senator Adam Schiff. Listeners gain valuable insights into congressional dynamics, party messaging, and the broader struggle to uphold democratic principles in a polarized environment.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Whoa.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

When did I get here?

[Carvana Representative]

What do you mean?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

I swear it was just moments ago that I accepted a great offer from Carvana online. I must have time traveled to the future.

[Carvana Representative]

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[Stephen Colbert]

It is the future.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

It's.

[Carvana Representative]

It's the present and just the convenience of Carvana. Sorry to blow your mind.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

It's all good. Happens all the time.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, hey everybody. We got a great show for you tonight. Senator Adam Schiff was my guest. We harmonized on seven Bridges Road. What a voice. I cried. But before we start the show, I want to let you know something that I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the late show in May. And yeah, I share your feelings. It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of the late show on cbs. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away. And I do want to say, I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I'm so grateful to the Tiffany network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course I'm grateful to you, the audience who have joined us every night in here, out there, all around the world, Mr. And Mrs. America. And all the ships at sea. I'm grateful to share the stage with this band, these artists over here every night. And I am. I am extraordinarily, deeply grateful to the 200 people who work here. We get to do this show. We get to do this show for each other every day, all day. And I've had the pleasure and the responsibility of sharing what we do every day with you in front of this camera for the last 10 years. And let me tell you, it is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it. And it's a job that I'm looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months. It's gonna be fun.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Y' all ready?

[Late Show Band Member]

We're gonna lock in. Lock in.

[Stephen Colbert]

Y' all ready?

[Late Show Band Member]

Let's go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Y' all ready? Okay. That's all I wanted to say. Dante. Let's do the show. Jazz cowboy plopping on the poof.

[Late Show Band Member]

Live on tape from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. It's then. Come there. Hey there. It was. Glad you were out here all night. Oh, yeah. I got you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Please have a seat, my friends. Welcome. Welcome, one and all, to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert, and I tell ya, it was. It was a hot one here today in New York. I want to thank everyone in my audience for waiting in line under the Ed Sullivan Theater's Easy Bake marquee. You guys. Oh, you guys are going to be so delicious. With a layer of Duncan Hines frosting all over the country. Temperatures hit triple digits in Nevada and California. Officials put out heat warnings for the towns of Pahrump and Furnace Creek. As in, I'm sweating so hard, the crack of my Pahrump turned into Furnace Creek. The threat of dehydration led the National Weather Service to recommend that Americans in 11 states avoid alcohol and caffeine. No, no, no. Not my zoomies and my sleepies. Caffeine is how I get up in the morning, and so is alcohol. Little Baileys, Little Baileys in the coffee. It's fine. It's not hurting anybody. The. All this heat may be affecting the president because. And I want to be. Sir, I want to be sensitive about this. His skin seems to be falling off. Trump. Trump was speaking on the White House lawn earlier this week. And see if you can pinpoint the moment. The cameraman got a little distracted.

[Trump Impersonator]

At the end of 50 days, if we don't have a deal, it's going.

[Stephen Colbert]

To be too bad we get more aggressive.

[Trump Impersonator]

Yeah, the tariffs are going to go on and other sanctions go on.

[Stephen Colbert]

Holy Sephora sample counter. That is a generous schmear. Now, the White House says he's fine. It's just a minor soft tissue irritation, which is good. But if he's going to put makeup on it, can we see that hand again? That's more than concealer. That's fondant. Is his makeup artist the cake boss? And I just want to say, you know, while I make a lot of jokes about the president, I'm on TV every day and I wear makeup, too. Sometimes I even wear it on my hand. And there's nothing weird about that, is there? No, Mr. Steven.

[Late Show Band Member]

No. No. You are so. I love you.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, you are so perfect and so handsome.

[Late Show Band Member]

I love you. Mwah, mwah, mwah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why, thank you, Mr. Hand. I would. I'm sure Trump would rather have us talk about his hand than Jeffrey Epstein. That controversy. That controversy is causing so much trouble for Trump that he recently ordered it to be put in a cell and for the cameras to stop working for three minutes. Here's where things stand. MAGA is furious because they think Trump is refusing to release the Epstein files. In response, Trump has been saying that there are no credible files, and if there are, they're really boring. And also, Obama made them up. That part is true. That part is true. And you can read them on Obama's annual summer Epstein client list. Now, as crazy as it is, Trump is going all in on the idea that his followers have fallen for a nefarious Democratic scheme.

[Trump Impersonator]

All it is is the Republicans, Certain Republicans got duped by the Democrats and they're following a Democrat playbook.

[Stephen Colbert]

That is ridiculous. The Democrats have never had a playbook. It's improv, baby.

[Late Show Band Member]

Yeah, right off the cuff.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, we have a location and a thing we won't talk about. Trump is desperately looking for a scapegoat. Yesterday, he fired the Manhattan federal prosecutor who handled the Epstein case and pulled the UNO reverse card, calling on the FBI to investigate this Jeffrey Epstein hoax, by which he evidently means he wants the FBI to investigate the folks who investigated Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking. Which is weird, but we could get a whole new spin off of To Catch a Predator. Why don't you have a seat there and get comfortable for that? No. Chris, you ever seat. Why have you been spending so much time in kitchens with perverts? Federal prosecutors or not? Is that syndication? Is that on cbs? Federal prosecutors are not the only people Trump wants to get rid of. Yesterday, there were rumors that Trump was planning to fire Federal Reserve Chairman and Keebler elf at LensCrafters, Jerome Powell. Here's Trump at Tuesday's Chopper Talk, badmouthing Powell.

[Trump Impersonator]

I have to say this, I think he's terrible. I think he's a total stiff. You talk to the guy, it's like talking to nothing. It's like talking to a chair.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Really? Talking to Jerome Powell is like talking to a chair. Maybe that's because his job title at the Federal Reserve is chair.

[Late Show Band Member]

Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's like talking to a chair, you poop lagoon. It's not entirely clear that the President has the power to get rid of Powell, but even the whiff of it roiled the stock market yesterday. That's because firing the Fed chair, who was supposed to be an independent steward of our financial system and our monetary policy, would create an issue that economists.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Call.

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[Stephen Colbert]

One economist likened the idea of firing Powell to ripping the fabric of the universe. Sounds extreme, but Trump's actually done that once before. Might want to put a little concealer on that. Wall Street's message of abject panic must have gotten through to Trump, because just a few hours after floating the idea, he told reporters that he was highly unlikely to fire the Fed chair, but made it clear he's no fan.

[Trump Impersonator]

He's a terrible Fed chair. I was surprised he was appointed. I was surprised, frankly, that Biden put him in and extended him.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, it's Joe Biden's fault for picking Jerome Powell in the first place. Jim, can we see that footage of Biden appointing him as Fed chair back in 2017?

[Trump Impersonator]

It is my pleasure and my honor to announce my nomination of Jerome Powell to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

[Late Show Band Member]

What?

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow, Joe Biden looked terrible in that clip. He was way too old to be president. Did you see the makeup on it? I did. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have something terrible to share because last night, Donald Trump had a good idea. He announced that in place of high fructose corn syrup, Coca Cola had agreed to use cane sugar for Coke in the US Reminds me of that. I know, I agree. It's a great idea. It reminds me of that classic jingle. I'd like to buy the world a Coke and have everybody forget about Jeffrey Epstein. Trump posted. I have been speaking to Coca Cola about using real cane sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so. I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca Cola. All of those in authority. I'm talking the big polar bear, the little polar bear, seasonally Santa, and for a limited time only, Darth Vader, he continued, this will be a very good move by them. You'll see. You'll see. Why does everything sound like a threat from this guy? It's like your date saying, I couldn't decide on the chocolate cake or the so I got both. They might even be good together. You'll see.

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You'll all see.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's possible Trump didn't give anybody a heads up because Coca Cola released this statement. We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca Cola brand. More details on new, innovative offerings will be shared soon. That really sounds like the way daycare teachers talk about their most disruptive toddler. Everyone here at Sunbeam Learning center appreciates Braden's enthusiasm. He's really made an impression on his classmates, mainly with his teeth. But the joke's on Trump because in trying to distract from one conspiracy, he's only brought attention to a much graver conspiracy. Join me in in the things I've been thinking about since 1985. Cam welcome. In 1985, I was an innocent young theater major at Northwestern University. There I am when out of nowhere, Coca Cola announced a new formula aptly named New Coke. The catch? It was disgusting. So, so bad that they said, okay, okay, we're sorry. And they went back to what they claimed was their classic formula. The catch? It wasn't. The sugar had been replaced by high fructose corn syrup. My theory? They knew we'd taste the difference in sweetener immediately, so instead they released New Coke as the false flag that refreshes just to trick us all. You think that's crazy? Then how do you explain this missing footage from the Epstein jail tapes?

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[Stephen Colbert]

We got a great show for you tonight.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Before we go on, I just want to say I hope have a seat y'.

[Late Show Band Member]

All.

[Stephen Colbert]

I hope you had a chance. I hope all of you had a chance to see my interview with Joaquin Phoenix earlier this week. He famously doesn't do interviews like this, so it was great to have him here. I truly enjoyed it and he is such a good actor that I believe he enjoyed it too. And great news. We have even more because Joaquin was brave enough to face the Colbert questionnaire. I've had dozens of celebrities sit right over there and take this soul penetrating quiz, but I've never seen anyone struggle so earnestly with the question Apples or orange? You're going to want to strap in for that one. By the time it was over, we had recorded the longest Colbert questionnaire in history.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

I want the record.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey Joaquin. Joaquin, I have some great news for you. His Colbert questionnaire ran so long we could not fit it into our show and I'm not sure we can even fit it into the Internet. But we're going to try go to our YouTube page, which is probably down here right now, and check it out, y'.

[Late Show Band Member]

All.

[Stephen Colbert]

Folks, my first guest tonight, my first guest tonight spent two decades as a congressman from California where he served as an impeachment manager and sat on the January 6th committee. Just last fall, he was elected to the Senate. Please welcome back to the Late Show, Senator Adam Schiff. Good to see you again. It's been a bit. It has since the last time you were here. You elected, you got elected to the Senate.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

You're welcome.

[Stephen Colbert]

And it's called by the Colbert Bump. You remember that?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Absolutely.

[Stephen Colbert]

When you visit the red districts in your state, do you ever think the people there are ever surprised that you are not the shrieking demon that Donald Trump portrays you as?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Oh, absolutely. I asked for a position on the Agriculture Committee. We're the number one ag producing state in the union, but we haven't had a senator on AG in 30 years. And part of the reason I wanted to do it is this is a super important industry for the state and for the country, but also because it would give me a window into what the deep red parts of California are like, what folks are thinking, how I can serve them, how I can relate to them. And on one of my visits recently to Butte county, which is in the far northeast of the state, it's part of California that wants to secede and become its own red state. I met with the Farm Bureau, a very conservative group in that conservative part of the state. And I could tell they were kind of standoffish, a little suspicious. What did this big city Democrat want? Meeting with the Butte Carney Farm Bureau. And after a while, you know, they warmed up. I said, look, I'm just here to learn. I want to represent you. I want to fight for you in the Senate. And by the end of the meeting, I could tell I'd made progress because one of the farmers turned to me and said, I don't know why the president calls you watermelon head. You have a perfectly normal sized head. And Stephen, that's how we do it. That's how we bridge the gap one.

[Stephen Colbert]

Inch at a time. Yes, we, one watermelon head at a time.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Time we come to agreement on the size of my head.

[Stephen Colbert]

And well, you spent so much time investigating Donald Trump and sounding the alarm on his misdeeds. The Russia collusion, impeachment, January 6th. I mean, and obviously you love your state, you respect the people in your state. What do you, there are parts of your state that went for Donald Trump during this last election. What do you think they didn't hear from you? What do you think that they didn't see that other people saw in those that first term?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, you know, one of the things that's apparent as I visit these deep red parts of California is, you know, there's a cultural divide, as there is in much of the country. There are also divisions over real substantive issues. And California fights over water between farmers and between environmentalists. But a big part of it, too, and this to me is maybe one of the most important takeaways, is we just haven't competed there. We haven't shown up there. We haven't introduced ourselves. We haven't tried to, you know, make sure that people understand we want to represent them. People aren't going to vote for you. They're not going to support you if they think you look down on them or condescend to them or even worse, you're not interested and you're just indifferent to them. So I think all over the country, Democrats need to be pressing the case in every part of the country, realizing we're not going to win everyone over. But there are a lot of people we can win over. They are surprised when they meet me. They've seen this caricature of me on fox. They've heard only about me from the president. And it's kind of a revelation when I don't turn out to have horns. So this is, you know, this is part of what I think it takes to compete.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Senator Adam Schiff, everybody. Hey, everybody. We're back with Senator Adam Schiff. Bernie and aoc, Senator Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have been going to red districts around the United States and they've been getting like huge rally crowds for them. They're bringing those two people specifically are or have been members of Democratic Socialists here in New York. Zoran Mamdani, you know, won the primary and he's got big clouds. I mean, certainly, certainly for Bernie and aoc, they might say, even though they're Democratic Socialists, they might say that they embody what Howard Dean said in 2004. I come from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. They're saying that there's already message the Democrats have and it's the FDR message, it's the LBJ message. It's caring for the farmers, it's caring for people who are marginalized. It's caring. It's making sure people can eat and people can get good jobs. Where'd that message go?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, I think that's absolutely right. I think our democracy is in trouble in significant part because the economy is not working for millions of Americans. And it's not that Americans aren't working. They're working harder than ever. The problem is they are working and they still struggle to get by more than their parents struggled to get by. And I think when that's the case, all too many people are open to any despot who comes along promising they alone can fix it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why do you think this democratic socialist message is so appealing recently?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, I think what's appealing about aoc, what's appealing about Bernie and Mamdani, is that they are vigorous challengers against the status quo. They recognize the status quo just sucks for working people, and they're not afraid to say so. They're not afraid to confront it. They're not afraid to put forward bold ideas. And they are exactly who they appear to be. It's not inauthentic for them. And I think the commonality, frankly, between the success Mamdani had in New York and the fact that Trump won in 2024 is that both of them represent an attack on the status quo. Now, Trump's attack on the status quo has just turned the country into this dystopian hellhole at the moment. So I'm not advocating that. But I think because people are so dissatisfied with how difficult it is to afford a place to live or to provide for their kids or access health care, they're ready to embrace anyone who is a representative of dramatic change. And if we're going to win the midterms and we're going to take back the White House, we cannot be seen as the party of the status quo. It's why we lost the last presidential election. And we damn well have to be out there fighting for rapid change.

[Stephen Colbert]

I want to compliment you. I want to compliment you for to say you're not supporting the idea of a dystopian hellhole. Well, we're gonna take another break here, but right back with more.

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[Stephen Colbert]

California Senator Adam Schiff. Hey, we're six months into Trump's second term. How's it different this time?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Fundamentally, it's different because Donald Trump was much less successful in the first term in creating a climate of fear. This is what he's after. He wants to make the law firms afraid. He wants to make universities afraid. He wants to make immigrants afraid. He wants to make citizens afraid. He wants to make news organizations, CBS and Paramount afraid. He wants to make ABC afraid. And he is succeeding. He is succeeding. And more than anything else, he wants to make Republicans in Congress afraid because he wants them to do their his will. He wants the judges to be afraid, afraid they'll get impeached if they cross him, afraid for their own personal safety if they cross him. He wants to create a climate of fear. And he has done so in six months, which is radically different than the first term. In part, it's different because in the first term there were at least some people to stand up to him. The Secretary Mattis, the John Kellys and others that had some stature who were willing to say, Mr. President, that's a stupid ass idea or that's an unlawful idea or I'm not going to go along with that idea.

[Stephen Colbert]

And also, he didn't think he was gonna win, I don't think. And so they didn't have a plan in place.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

So last night the Senate passed something called a rescission bill. I've never heard of a rescission bill. It sounds like a court ordered appendectomy. Can you explain what is a rescission bill? What does this do to Congress?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Yeah. Well, first there's the big ugly bill, which was another term that probably many people hadn't heard of called reconciliation, where they massively cut healthcare and they cut food for hungry kids, tax cut for rich people. But not content with that and the harms that's going to cause, they decided they want a lot of little ugly bills. And this rescission bill is a little ugly bill. It's like a mini reconciliation bill. It like the reconciliation Bill only requires 50 votes and the VP and they can cut further. So in this bill that we voted on up till about three in the morning last night, they cut funding for AIDS and tuberculosis and malaria and public broadcasting and npr.

[Stephen Colbert]

And was this money that had already been allocated?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

It's money that had already been allocated.

[Stephen Colbert]

How can, why would Congress take back what they had already passed? Why are they doing it, especially for things like that?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Because Donald Trump has made the Republicans afraid.

[Stephen Colbert]

But people get into office. I mean, I don't know what your motivations, I'm sure they're very pure. But some people, some people just like the allure of power. And it seems like Congress is giving its power away to Donald Trump, that they're reducing their co equal status.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Congress is absolutely giving its power away. And in this case, really the most important power we have, which is the power of the purse. I mean, at the end of the day, what power does Congress have to stop a rogue executive, but to defund them? We have the power, if we use it to say, hey, Donald Trump, we're not going to let you lay off all these people because we're not going to fund all these things you want to do. We're not going to let you just grab people off the street using agents and masks, demanding people's papers, citizens and noncitizens alike. We're going to defund you. But if we don't use that power, the President can run rogue. Now, why would we give up that power? Why would Republicans in particular give up that power? Because they're worried about losing their own personal power, that is their own personal office.

[Stephen Colbert]

Some of them have said they're worried for their personal safety.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

That too. That too.

[Stephen Colbert]

Since he's pardoned his private mob, you.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Can'T find a member of the House or Senate that hasn't gotten death threats. You probably can't find many that haven't gotten death threats against their spouses, against their children.

[Stephen Colbert]

And when did that start?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, I would say I was in Congress for what, I don't know, 20 years before Trump came along or thereabouts. If I got threatened two or three times in 20 years, that was a lot. If I got threatened two or three times in a week during first Trump, it wasn't very much. So under Trump, that has just accelerated. And of course, now it's not just Democrats getting threatened, it's Republicans getting, getting threatened. And I have to imagine that there are a bunch of Republicans right now getting threatened over the whole Jeffrey Epstein stuff. So once you unleash this idea that it's okay to use political violence and threats of violence, it doesn't end up discriminating just against one party. Judges are getting threatened. City councilmen are getting threatened. Election workers are getting threatened. And so this is all part of this quite deliberate campaign to frighten people into submission. And the only way to push back on that is to say, piss off. Piss off. The president, as you know, has been going after me within the last couple of days, ever since I led his first impeachment. He's threatened me with jail and prosecution and called me a traitor, accused me of treason, blah, blah, blah. He coerced Republicans into centering me in the house. And now the latest attack on me. So I just want to direct this if this is the right camera. Or maybe that's the right camera.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's the right camera right there.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Donald, piss off.

[Late Show Band Member]

Oh, oh, but.

[Stephen Colbert]

I.

[Late Show Band Member]

I, I wait, wait.

[Stephen Colbert]

I was notarizing that. I have that in the world.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

But I.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wait, yes, yes, yes.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

But Donald, before you piss off, would you release the Epstein files? But.

[Stephen Colbert]

Come on. Senator, thank you so much for being here. Senator Adam Schiff, everybody. Thank you for listening to the late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

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