Colbert rips Trump for embracing ‘nationalist’ label

Late-night host Stephen Colbert on Tuesday slammed President Trump for embracing the “nationalist” label, saying that there is a clear reason why people shouldn’t describe themselves as one.

“You know why you’re not supposed to use that word? Because it’s the second half of ‘white nationalist,'” Colbert said on “The Late Show.” “Chopping off the first word doesn’t change what it means in our minds. ‘Oh look, look, I’m a klux klan, I have no idea which one! Don’t judge me. There’s all kinds of klux klans.’”

Colbert then hit Trump over the president’s criticism of “globalists.”

{mosads}“He does realize America is on the globe, right?” Colbert asked, before mocking Trump as someone who wouldn’t care about global warming until it’s described as “America warming.”  

Colbert’s comments came just a day after Trump declared himself a “nationalist” during a campaign rally in Houston, while railing against “globalists” who care more about the world’s well-being than America’s. He doubled down a day later when asked about his embrace of the term, saying that he was “absolutely” one and that he was proud of it. 

“I’m somebody that loves our country,” he said, adding that he’s never heard of the term having racial undertones. 

White nationalist groups helped organized the protests that turned deadly in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017. The demonstrations were aimed at protesting the removal of Confederate statues, but several news outlets have reported on neo-Nazis and other racist groups attending the rally. 

Trump drew intense scrutiny at the time for his comments about the events after he described some of the rally attendees as “very fine people.”