Fact Check: Yes, Stephen Colbert once said quote about US being 'Christian nation that doesn't help the poor'
Talk show host Stephen Colbert once said, "If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition ... and then admit that we just don't want to do it."
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An alleged quote attributed to late night TV host Stephen Colbert circulated on social media in late July and early August 2025, purporting that the comedian made a cutting remark about the state of Christianity in the United States.
The quote has been shared on social media for years, as evidenced by a post on X (archived) from 2022.
In the wake of CBS announcing the end of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," however, users on social media started sharing the alleged quote once more on platforms like BlueSky (archived), Threads (archived) and Facebook (archived).
The alleged quote in question states:
If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition ... and then admit that we just don't want to do it.
Some users agreed with Colbert's alleged sentiment and shared the statement alongside an image of Colbert sitting at a desk, adding, "It's time to reiterate what the teachings of Jesus or prophets/revered enlightened leaders of any religion were actually saying to help humankind evolve. It's about love and inclusion. Not hate, violence, or power."
The quote above was correctly attributed to Colbert.
The comedian said it during a Christmas-themed episode of "The Colbert Report" that aired on Comedy Central on Dec. 16, 2010, with featured guests comedian Amy Sedaris and musician Paul Simon. The segment in which the quote appeared was titled, "Jesus was a Liberal Democrat."
It's worth noting that "The Colbert Report," which ran on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014, featured Colbert playing a satirical characterization of himself as a conservative commentator.
However, we must also note that episodes of "The Colbert Report" are no longer available on any streaming services, and clips posted to YouTube are primarily limited to 2014, the show's final year before Colbert moved on to host "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on CBS.
Nonetheless, there is substantial reporting about the quote from the time it aired, as well as an audio clip of the moment on YouTube that was published on Sept. 21, 2011. As such, we are confident in attributing the quote in question to Colbert despite a lack of visual evidence online.
Business Insider reported on the segment at the time, citing it as the latest in an ongoing war of words between Colbert and (real) conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly over Jesus' teachings. The article cited a summary of an upcoming episode of O'Reilly's show that read, "Colbert … Jesus … and the poor. The late night comic is now a theologian — and attacks Bill in the process! But does he have his Biblical facts straight?"
A writer for State of Formation, an "online forum for emerging religious and ethical leaders," discussed the segment on Dec. 20, 2010:
It makes an argument that as both a religious and a political liberal I am all too happy to hear. It is Stephen Colbert — a person universally known and, among my generation in particular, almost universally esteemed and, yes, respected — calling out those who profess to be Christians yet espouse policies that further neglect or oppress those in the lowest income brackets. Beneath (and also because of) its satirical aim, this is a powerful argumentative blow to some on the religious and/or political Right.
Further, a writer for the alternative newspaper Portland Mercury discussed the segment the day after it aired and stated:
What really got me was a piece that brilliantly satirizes an issue near and dear to my heart: the inherent hypocrisy of Christianity in the West. Since this is Blogtown and not Obvious Theology 101 I know I don't have to spell this s*** out; we all know that the basic tenants of Christ's teachings (give away all your money, judge not lest ye be judged, divorced people are committing adultery, etc.) are ignored by pretty much everyone, especially those who claim to be Christians.
Finally, TV Tropes also listed the quote as Colbert's, though it denotes it as attributable to "the character" rather than "the person."
Snopes reached out to Colbert's representatives to see if they can provide the episode featuring the quote and will update this article if we hear back.
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyln-yReNv8. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
"Amy Sedaris/Paul Simon." The Colbert Report, directed by Paul B. Cummings, 16 Dec. 2010.
Bow, Dave. "Stephen Colbert Agrees: Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat." Portland Mercury, https://www.portlandmercury.com/politics/2010/12/17/3168876/stephen-colbert-agrees-jesus-is-a-liberal-democrat. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Katovitch, Celie. "The H. Clearly Stands for Hussein": Jesus H. Christ, Theological Honesty, and Stephen Colbert. 20 Dec. 2010, https://stateofformation.org/2010/12/the-h-clearly-stands-for-hussein-jesus-h-christ-theological-honesty-and-stephen-colbert/.
"Stephen Colbert." TV Tropes, https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Quotes/StephenColbert. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
"Stephen Colbert And Bill O'Reilly Are Fighting Over Whether Jesus Was A Liberal." Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-colbert-and-bill-oreilly-are-fighting-over-whether-jesus-was-a-liberal-2010-12. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
"Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Is Canceled by CBS and Will End in May 2026." AP News, 17 Jul. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab.
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