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Conservative media, elected officials express anger over ‘Late Show’ arrests

by Will Tubbs

Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News

 

In what can only be described as a moment some conservatives seem to have been waiting for, the arrests employees of a leftist late-night comedian have afforded pundits and politicians on the right the chance to, in their mind, give Democrats a taste of their own medicine.

Since Friday, when it was revealed a group of seven production staff from the “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” were charged with unlawful entry into a congressional building, prominent members of the right have wondered aloud if this group will receive the same treatment as the people who entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Stephen Colbert’s producers just committed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol,” Fox host Tucker Carlson tweeted Friday.

While it’s unlikely the group of seven is ever labeled insurrectionists by the left or other mainstream media, the septet does face the charge of remaining in the Capitol Complex longer than they should have.

By most accounts, the group had been initially allowed into the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill – it seems at the invitation of the offices of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) – but remained in the building after their time with the congressmen ended.

According to a statement from the Capitol Police, officers spotted the group filming in the halls without a proper credential or escort.

“The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day,” the statement said.

Fox News later indicated that the matter was not as simple as the group being in the building beyond their appointed time and that the group had reportedly banged on doors of several offices belonging to Republican lawmakers, among them House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

“Democrats FALSELY claimed that [Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.)] gave recon tours of the Capitol prior to January 6th,” reads a tweet from the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee. “Turns out, @RepAdamSchiff’s cronies gave actual unauthorized recon tours of GOP offices this week! Can’t make it up.”

Among the arrestees was Robert Smigel, who is best known for his work as a writer on such shows as “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” According to a statement from CBS, Smigel was on site to film a segment using his “Triumph the Insult Comic Dog” character and was among a group that “stayed to film stand-ups and other final comedy elements in the halls when they were detained by Capitol Police.”

Fox News took a particular interest in the story, and made it a central part of network news and opinion shows well into Saturday.

Prominent Republicans have also joined the fray, pointing with anger at Schiff, a member of the Jan. 6 committee, and Auchincloss.

“@AdamSchiff & @JakeAuch you have a certain staff member that has been obsessively targeting me and broken multiple federal laws,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted. “Now all of you engaged in insurrection & enabled targeted harassment against me and my Republican colleagues. I’m telling the full story next week.”

Neither Schiff nor Auchincloss had responded as of this writing.

In an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Waters, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), ranking member on the House Committee on Administration, promised to demand answers from the Democratic congressmen.

Colbert, who was not present, has not issued a comment on the arrest or alleged behavior of his staff. The comedian is one of several late-night talk show hosts who nightly use their program to push left-wing talking points and to deride conservatives and conservatism.

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