Stephen Colbert defended comedian Michelle Wolf’s controversial routine at Saturday night’s White House correspondents’ dinner, saying the group that presents the dinner needs to “grow a pair.”
Colbert, whose performance at the 2006 White House correspondents’ dinner was heavily criticized, said the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) was wrong to put out a statement critical of Wolf.
Wolf has come under fire for jokes about White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
“Look, you didn’t like it, you have that right. Don’t invite her back again, but grow a pair,” Colbert said in his monologue. “This was a roast! And you’re the ones who hired Michelle Wolf! Being mad at her for doing her job is like accusing the valet of briefly stealing your car.”
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“And don’t act like you’re surprised. I thought news people did research! But you’re telling me you couldn’t spend 90 seconds on YouTube to find out what her act was like? As a great man once said, ‘Fake news,’ ” Colbert added.
Colbert joins a number of other late-night hosts, such as Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah, who have stood up for Wolf.
Meyers criticized the WHCA for not standing by Wolf, whom he has worked with in the past.
“I was her boss and she made the meanest jokes about me all the time,” Meyers said. “We’re lucky to have her.”
Trevor Noah, the host of the “The Daily Show,” for which Wolf was a contributor, also stood by Wolf and poked fun at people who were offended by her routine.
President Trump went after Wolf, calling her a “filthy ‘comedian’ ” in a tweet and claiming she “totally bombed.”