The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode Summary: Sen. Jon Ossoff | Bad Jean Pool

Date: February 19, 2026
Guest: Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff for an insightful and candid conversation. The discussion centers around political corruption, the legacy of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, recent controversial Justice Department actions in Georgia, and the continuing influence of the “Epstein class”—a phrase coined by Ossoff. The pair also reflect on the enduring impact of Congressman John Lewis as America approaches pivotal midterm elections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Monologue: Lent, Mortality, and the News

[01:06–06:24]

• Colbert’s Ash Wednesday Observations:

  • Stephen jokes about giving up “the ability to speak” for Lent due to his hoarse voice, blending self-deprecation with Catholic tradition humor.
  • Quips about the morbid reminder of mortality from Ash Wednesday (“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”).

• Political Satire:

  • Colbert reports the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson, heralding his civil rights leadership, and juxtaposes this loss with President Trump’s tone-deaf celebration of Black History Month.
    • Notable quip: Trump’s awkward recollection of Herschel Walker’s ambassadorship:
      Trump (impersonated): “Herschel Walker. Now he's ambassador to the Bahamas. I don’t know. Bahamas. Bermuda, is he. Bahamas. Whatever. It's nice, a nice place.” [04:13]
  • Poll results lampooned: A majority see Trump as corrupt, cruel, or dangerous.

2. RFK Jr., Kid Rock, and the “Bad Jean Pool”

[06:24–10:02]

• Colbert lampoons an odd viral workout video starring RFK Jr. and Kid Rock, highlighting its surreal qualities (“senior softcore”) and poking fun at their jeans-clad sauna antics.
• Colbert zinger: “Is he one of those action figures where his jeans are his legs—they don’t come off?” [08:53]

3. Monkey News Break: Punch the Macaque

[10:02–12:55]

• Light-hearted update on Punch, a six-month-old Japanese macaque comforted by an IKEA stuffed animal after being rejected by his mother.
• Colbert punchline: “Hurt monkeys hurt monkeys. They say that, right? They say that.” [11:49]

4. Interview: Senator Jon Ossoff

[14:38–26:49]

a. The “Epstein Class” & Political Corruption

[15:05–19:50]

• Colbert introduces Ossoff and references a recent speech where Ossoff coined the term “the Epstein class.”

• Ossoff explains:

  • “This whole Epstein saga has exposed the lie at the very core of Donald Trump's political project... this is in fact, a government of, by, and for the ultra rich and the ultra elite.” [15:39–16:49]

  • Trump’s circle and the “Epstein class” illustrate the entrenched power of corrupt, unaccountable elites.

  • Hypocrisy of MAGA movement: Using supposed populism to benefit the wealthy while cutting health care and slashing taxes for the rich.

  • Deep systemic corruption enables a class that pours “billions into political campaigns, who are unaccountable and who have captured our political system.” [17:12]

  • Colbert’s take: The phrase resonated not only due to its connection with Trump but because it exposes the bipartisan nature of elite impunity: “There are people... who believe that rules are to constrain other people, laws are to constrain other people, but never apply to them.” [17:31]

• Ossoff’s background:

  • Led investigative teams exposing global corruption, war crimes, and authoritarian abuses.
  • Connects rise of Trump-era America to patterns seen in repressive societies: “More and more, Donald Trump’s America reminds me of those places and those societies, and that should chill us all to the bone.” [18:10]
  • Trump as “symptom” of a rigged system: “He’s not unrigging it, he’s re-rigging it for himself.” [19:16]
  • On Citizens United:
    • “Corporations, the ultra rich, unlimited money and in secret... bent Congress against the public interest and toward narrow private interests. That is one of the reasons…that wealth and power have become more and more unequal in our society. And that is what gave rise to someone like Donald Trump.” [19:50–20:27]

b. Fulton County Election Raid

[22:10–24:32]

• Colbert: Questions Ossoff on the FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia, which seized 700 boxes of 2020 election materials.

• Ossoff:

  • Frames the raid as part of Trump’s ongoing “obsession with overturning the 2020 election,” linking it to threats made to Georgia’s secretary of state and the Capitol attack.
  • Asserts the unprecedented nature and danger of federal law enforcement seizing ballots in a state with a long history of voting rights struggles: “This has really shaken people in Georgia, where we have such a deep history of attacks on voting rights... to have a federal raid seizing voters’ ballots.” [23:37]
  • Recounts that Georgia’s ballots were counted and recounted multiple times: “Over and over again, court case after court case.” [24:04]

• Colbert: Points out Tulsi Gabbard's suspicious presence at the raid as Director of National Intelligence, violating standard operating procedure: “If you live in a major democracy and the nation’s spy chief is showing up at raids on sensitive election sites, something has gone wrong.” (Paraphrased) [24:32]

c. The Legacy of John Lewis

[24:55–26:49]

• Colbert: Brings up Congressman John Lewis, including personal recollections and photos of a youthful Ossoff with Lewis.
• Ossoff:
  • First met Lewis at 16 after reading his memoir; that meeting led to a job and lifelong mentorship.
  • “I never would have pursued elected office without his encouragement and his support. But I’ll tell you what, he would have very high expectations of all of us at this moment in our country’s history.” [25:51]
  • On Lewis’s advice for today:
    • “We have the power to right the ship. No one’s going to do it for us. Theirs was the most successful nonviolent mass mobilization in American history… We can deal with this, but I’m telling you, these midterm elections are the whole ball game. There is a lot riding on what happens in November.” [26:04–26:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Stephen Colbert [01:25]:
  “This year, I have apparently given up the ability to speak. You may have noticed my voice is not the best this evening. Right now, I’m somewhere between Kathleen Turner and Cookie Monster.”
• Sen. Jon Ossoff [15:39]:
  “This whole Epstein saga has exposed the lie at the very core of Donald Trump’s political project… a government of, by, and for the ultra rich and the ultra elite.”
• Stephen Colbert [17:31]:
  “There are people in the United States who believe that rules are to constrain other people, laws are to constrain other people, but never apply to them.”
• Sen. Jon Ossoff [18:10]:
  “More and more, Donald Trump’s America reminds me of those places and those societies, and that should chill us all to the bone.”
• Sen. Jon Ossoff [19:16]:
  “He’s not unrigging it, he’s re-rigging it for himself.”
• Sen. Jon Ossoff [23:37]:
  “This has really shaken people in Georgia, where we have such a deep history of attacks on voting rights... to have a federal raid seizing voters’ ballots.”
• Sen. Jon Ossoff [26:04]:
  “We have the power to right the ship. No one’s going to do it for us… These midterm elections are the whole ball game.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:06] – Colbert’s Lent/voice jokes and mortality musings
• [03:55]–[05:44] – Trump’s awkward Black History Month moments, poll results
• [06:24] – RFK Jr. and Kid Rock “bad jean pool” video
• [10:02] – Monkey News: Punch the macaque
• [14:38] – Senator Jon Ossoff introduction
• [15:10]–[20:27] – The “Epstein class” and systemic corruption discussion
• [22:10]–[24:32] – FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia
• [24:55]–[26:49] – The legacy of John Lewis and call to civic action

Tone & Style

The conversation maintains Colbert’s signature blend of sharp wit, pointed satire, and earnest inquiry. Ossoff matches the tone with frank, accessible explanations and reflects a sense of urgency while maintaining optimism about citizen action.

For New Listeners

This episode exemplifies The Late Show Pod Show’s ability to fuse humor with substance. Colbert delivers biting, informed satire, then cedes the floor to Senator Ossoff for a robust discussion about corruption, democracy, and responsibility—anchored by memorable stories and urgent calls to action. Even without prior context, listeners will gain insight into both the headline news and the underlying systemic forces shaping America.