Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster recently revealed that he was invited to appear on CBS’s "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert in 2024, but with a catch. He was asked to publicly denounce former President Donald Trump and advise viewers not to vote for him. McMaster shared this during an episode of the GoodFellows podcast, hosted by the Hoover Institution.
The conversation began when moderator Bill Whalen noted that many late-night shows seem to lean politically left. McMaster responded by recounting how his publicist informed him about the invitation to Colbert’s show, but with the stipulation of condemning Trump. He described the decision to decline the offer as an "easy choice," highlighting what he sees as a growing political bias in late-night television.
McMaster expressed concern about the trend in late-night comedy, suggesting that many monologues have turned into political rants rather than humorous commentary. He speculated that this shift might be contributing to declining ratings for these shows.
The discussion touched on a broader debate regarding free speech and political bias in entertainment. McMaster noted that while some voices on the left cry out against censorship, conservatives have faced similar treatment for years. He pointed to recent controversies, including the suspension of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel for spreading misinformation, which sparked accusations of hypocrisy among late-night hosts who previously criticized conservatives.
In closing, McMaster suggested that the solution to the issue isn’t government intervention but rather allowing shows with low ratings to fade away on their own. Representatives from "The Late Show" did not respond to requests for comment regarding McMaster’s claims.
