CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert lashed out at President Donald Trump this week after the president highlighted Chicago’s persistent crime problem. On his show, Colbert impersonated Trump and responded directly to the president’s remarks. “Yesterday, Trump also posted, ‘Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the world, by far.’ Worst and most dangerous? Two words: F*** you,” Colbert declared, drawing applause from his audience. He continued mocking Trump, saying, “Trump slandered on, ‘Chicago is the murder capital of the world!’”
Colbert then attempted to dispute Trump’s claim by citing a Newsweek report, telling viewers, “According to the FBI, 22 major cities have higher rates of murder than Chicago.” However, he left out important context. The Newsweek article itself clarified that the list only included cities with populations over 100,000 and higher murder rates than Chicago. In fact, the same outlet reported last year that Chicago ranked eighth in overall murder rates. Despite Colbert’s deflection, Chicago has consistently ranked among the most violent large cities in the United States, plagued by both shootings and carjackings.
The late-night comedian also tied his comments to politics, pointing out that Chicago hosted the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Colbert emphasized his personal connection to the city, saying, “I love the people of Chicago. I used to be a people of Chicago. In fact, I lived there 11 years—I lived there seven years. Started my career there. In fact, we took our show to Chicago last summer, had an amazing time.” He ended with a dark joke, quipping, “But come to think of it, you know what, a lot of us did come home murdered. That’s on me.”
Colbert’s rant underscores the growing clash between Trump’s blunt criticism of crime-ridden cities and Hollywood’s late-night figures eager to defend Democrat strongholds like Chicago.
