Watch Stephen Colbert tear into the Supreme Court over the Roe v. Wade leak
The late-night host expressed indignation over a leaked draft indicating the court would overturn the landmark ruling preserving the right to abortion.
Stephen Colbert wasted no time in lamenting over the news that the Supreme Court was like to overturn Roe v. Wade “Well, shit,” he said to open the Tuesday night’s of The Late Show. “You know what we’re going to be talking about tonight, so strap in.”
Less than a day after a draft of the Court’s majority decision over the landmark ruling that preserves a woman’s right to an abortion was leaked, Colbert expressed indignation over the five justices — Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh — responsible.
“Congratulations, ladies — decisions about what you can do with your body are now being made by four old dudes and a woman who thinks The Handmaid’s Tale is a rom-com,” Colbert said.
He recited an excerpt from Justice Alito’s written opinion in the leaked draft: “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled… a right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the nation’s history and traditions. On the contrary, an unbroken tradition of prohibiting abortion on pain of criminal punishment persisted from the earliest days of the common law.”
“Because nothing says looking toward the future like adhering to the earliest days of common law,” Colbert responded. “That’s why I believe that life begins at ‘white landholding male.’”
While the ruling would not institute a nationwide ban, it would allow states the freedom to implement “trigger laws” that are in place to implement a ban within their borders. Over 13 states are expected to ban abortion immediately following the ruling, and 26 in total are expected to institute a ban eventually, despite the fact that polls indicate the majority of Americans believe abortion is a constitutional right.
“So, if these folks believe that Roe v. Wade was so egregiously decided, why didn’t they tell the senators that during their confirmation hearings?” Colbert said, after showing clips of these various justices declaring their respect for Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. “Well, because American voters support abortion in all or most cases at 80 percent. They knew that if they were honest, they wouldn’t get the job, so they lied, which I think is perjury. But what do I know? I’m not a Supreme Court justice. I’m not a good enough liar.”
