Latest news with #politicaltheater
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Harsh reality behind Colbert's 'cancellation' as DNC spokesperson
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission served a brutal dose of reality to Stephen Colbert (pictured) fans 'wailing' over the loss of the liberal comedian's show. Brendan Carr explained how the drama over Colbert's Late Show cancellation was nothing more than political theater - and the actual motive was just dollars and cents. On Thursday, CBS announced that the comedian's decade-long run as the host of CBS' late night flagship will end next May. The sudden move s parked immediate backlash from left-wing celebrities and politicians, who claim the decision was strictly politically-motivated. The cancellation was revealed two days after Colbert used the term 'big fat bribe' to describe Paramount's $16million settlement with President Trump. Paramount, which owns CBS, decided to settle on the lawsuit over deceptive editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. The entire affair came amid a pending merger between CBS parent company Paramount and Skydance - a deal still awaiting regulatory approval under the oversight of the Trump administration. CBS - long known as the 'Tiffany Network' - insisted that canceling Colbert's show was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.' 'It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,' it added. Though the program regularly topped its timeslot on network TV, it reportedly hemorrhaged $40 million a year in revenue - a staggering loss that ultimately proved unsustainable. However, the network instantly faced widespread accusations, including from US senators, of cancelling Colbert for political reasons, particularly given the timing following his vocal criticism of Trump. 'Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late night host, slams the deal, days later, he's fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO,' Bernie Sanders wrote to X. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis added her voice to the backlash, telling the Associated Press : 'They just cut NPR and, you know, public broadcasting. Yes, they're trying to silence people, but that won't work. It won't work. We will just get louder.' Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to X : 'CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons,' she added. 'If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,' California Senator Adam Schiff (pictured) wrote to X. Jon Stewart, Colbert's former Comedy Central colleague, also weighed in on the controversy during Monday's episode of The Daily Show, questioning the network's decision to cancel the program. 'Watching Stephen exceed all expectations in the role and become the number one late-night show on network television has been an undeniable great pleasure for me as a viewer and as his friend, and now Stephen has been canceled for "purely financial reasons," Stewart said. Colbert ultimately gained a reputation as one of Trump's fiercest critics, departing from the traditional late-night in favor of a more overtly partisan approach. Following the announcement of The Late Show's cancellation, President Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to gloat over the news in a celebratory post. 'I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,' he wrote. Colbert, who briefly addressed the move Friday, devoted much of his Monday show to the controversy, eventually uniting with almost every other liberal late-night talk show host in a show of support, as well as Adam Sandler and even Lin-Manuel Miranda. The 61-year-old comic opened after a standing ovation and a lengthy applause from the New York City crowd by saying 'cancel culture has gone too far' and then joked now that the show is ending, he can say whatever he feels. Colbert said sarcastically of Paramount: 'They made one mistake, they left me alive! For the next ten months, the gloves are off!' The Late Show host then referenced Trump's comments, turning to an 'Eloquence Cam' and said: 'How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go [expletive] yourself.' He then referenced Trump stating in the same Truth Social post: 'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.' Colbert replied: 'Nope, no, no. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I am the martyr. There's only room for one on this cross. And the view is fantastic from up here. I can see your house!' He also said that cancellation meant he could finally admit what he felt about the president. In contrast to his often over-the-top anti-Trump monologues, he dryly, quietly said: 'I don't care for him. Doesn't seem to have the skill set to be president. Just not a good fit, that's all.' Colbert also referenced a story from The New York Post saying the show lost $40-$50million last year, though some have suggested its as high as $100million. 'I could see us losing $24 million but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million, oh...' he quipped, naming the amount the company settled with Trump for over his 60 Minutes lawsuit. He then went back to bashing Trump and the recent news accusing him of writing a 'bawdy' letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. 'I'll have more to say about all this after the commercial break. The only other story is a small one... the president is buddies with a [expletive],' he said. In a follow-up post on X, Carr chimed in again, taking aim at the comedian and slamming him for his reaction to the cancellation. 'I'm surprised to learn that CBS didn't find this stuff profitable,' he wrote.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kristi Noem takes NBC host to task after liberal tears over 'inhumane' Alligator Alcatraz
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a fiery appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday as she fiercely defended the Trump administration's controversial new migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' The interview came after Democratic lawmakers described the facility as a humanitarian nightmare. In a blistering exchange with NBC anchor Kristen Welker, Noem accused Democrats of hypocrisy and political theater after a congressional tour of the facility ended with accusations of inhumane treatment and squalid conditions. 'I wish they would've said that during the Biden administration,' Noem said as Welker repeatedly pressed her about reports of overcrowded cells and unsanitary water sources. 'They were piling people on top of each other on cement floors... and they didn't have two feet to move. They never did that, and that's why this politics has to end.' The clash came just 24 hours after Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats toured the newly opened compound and compared it to an internment camp. 'There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down,' Wasserman Schultz told reporters. 'This place is a stunt, and they're abusing human beings here.' According to lawmakers on the tour, more than 30 migrants were packed into cage-style cells with just three combination sink-toilets. Temperatures hovered in the mid-80s inside medical intake tents. Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and other insects were rampant. One detainee reportedly shouted, 'I'm an American citizen!' while others chanted 'Libertad!', Spanish for 'freedom.' Welker confronted Noem with such claims: 'Thirty people stuffed into a jail cell? Drinking water from the same place they use the bathroom?' But Noem appeared unshaken and fired back. 'Our detention centers at the federal level are held to a higher standard than most local or state centers and even federal prisons. The standards are extremely high. This is a state-run facility, but it still exceeds the requirements.' She elaborated: 'I have been there and I have seen the rooms they are in. I will call them jail cells - it's a facility where they are held that are secure and meet the highest levels of what the government requires for detention.' When Welker pushed further, saying Democrats have 'called them cages,' Noem announced that the administration would soon allow cameras into the facility. 'We'll take cameras and show people what the facilities look like. Because if you compare them to what happened under the Biden and Obama administrations, these centers are at the highest levels - even higher than our federal prison standards.' Noem also disclosed plans for expansion. 'We are going to expand,' she told Welker. 'We're actively looking at how to open more detention sites like this one. We are looking for more information and how we can get more detention.' Noem stood by the facility and doubled down, revealing that five Republican governors have already spoken with her about using the Florida site as a model. 'We are going to expand,' Noem said. 'We're actively looking at how to open more detention sites like this one.' Currently, media access remains blocked and journalists were not allowed to attend Saturday's tour. Legislators were also barred from bringing phones or cameras inside. Critics, including attorneys and advocacy groups, claim the facility is little more than a prison camp hidden deep in Florida's swamps. Detainees have reported worms in the food, overflowing toilets, and 24-hour lockdowns in cages teeming with mosquitoes. At least one minor and several individuals with no criminal record are reportedly being held. 'These are human beings who have inherent rights, and they have a right to dignity,' immigration attorney Josephine Arroyo said. 'They're violating a lot of their rights by putting them there.' A Venezuelan detainee described the facility as a 'zoo cage,' adding that detainees were being pressured to sign self-deportation documents. There are several people protesting outside the Alligator Alcatraz facility Republican lawmakers say the criticisms are exaggerated. 'The rhetoric coming out of the Democrats does not match the reality,' Florida State Senator Blaise Ingoglia said. 'The living quarters were clean. The air conditioning worked well. No squalor.' State Senator Jay Collins, a US Army veteran who toured a different section, agreed. 'Would I want that toilet-and-sink combination at my house? Probably not, but this is a transitional holding facility.' Division of Emergency Management spokesperson Stephanie Hartman called the reports of mistreatment 'completely false.' 'The facility meets all required standards and is in good working order,' Hartman said. 'Every detainee gets three meals a day, unlimited drinking water, showers, and other necessities.' The Alligator Alcatraz facility was constructed in days and built on a remote airstrip in the Everglades. It now holds nearly 900 detainees but has a capacity of over 3,000.
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
In London, theatergoers reenact storming of the U.S. Capitol
LONDON — In a city well-known for political theater, the show at Stone Nest, a performance venue in the heart of London's West End, took the concept to a new level. For the last month, audiences have been reenacting the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in one of the most violent and divisive days of modern American democracy.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
A group of lawmakers attempt to visit ‘Alligator Alcatraz' amid humanitarian concerns
Florida lawmakers worried about 'humanitarian concerns' are attempting to access 'Alligator Alcatraz' Thursday to inspect the grounds of the new detention center, just hours after the arrival of its first group of detainees. 'What's happening here is un-American,' Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones and four other Democratic state lawmakers said in a joint news release. 'What we're witnessing isn't about security or solving problems—it's about inhumane political theater that endangers real people.' The lawmakers spoke to reporters outside the facility Thursday afternoon but it's unclear whether they were allowed inside. Detainees arrived at the facility in the middle of the Florida Everglades, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said Thursday, following reports of flooding earlier this week. The lawmakers noted there have been reports of extreme heat, structural issues, environmental threats, and human rights violations that 'demand immediate oversight.' President Donald Trump toured the facility Tuesday and shortly after, summer storms amid the region's hurricane season brought flooding to it, adding to a list of concerns about the facility's readiness to house migrants. Wires were seen submerged in pooling water across the floor and high winds made the facility's floor and walls tremble, reporter video from CNN affiliate Spectrum News 13 showed. A combination of weather observations and estimates from radar indicate that anywhere from around 0.40 to 1.5 inches of rain fell at the facility in less than two hours on Tuesday, according to CNN Weather. Later that night, 'vendors went back and tightened any seams at the base of the structures that allowed water intrusion during the heavy storm, which was minimal,' Stephanie Hartman, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Emergency Management, told CNN. But more rainfall could be on the horizon amid the region's hurricane season and the chance for storms in the forecast every day in the next week, according to CNN Weather. It's unclear how many detainees are currently being housed at the compound as of Thursday, but it has the capacity to hold 3,000 people, with room for more, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said in a roundtable Tuesday alongside Trump. Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said authorities will 'expand facilities and bed space in just days.' Nestled in the middle of Florida's humid, subtropical wetland ecosystem, 'Alligator Alcatraz' was transformed from a training and transition airport to a temporary tent city for migrants. The expected cost to run the detention center for one year is $450 million, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN, adding that Florida will front the costs of the facility and then 'submit reimbursement requests' through FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the facility is necessary to alleviate burdens on the state's law enforcement agencies and jails, and touted it for being designed to be 'completely self-contained' – which has prompted local immigration rights advocates to accuse the DeSantis administration of creating a facility 'engineered to enact suffering.' 'Clearly from a security perspective, if someone escapes, there's a lot of alligators you're going to have to contend (with),' DeSantis said last week. 'No one is going anywhere once you do that. It's as safe and secure as you can be.' Migrants will be housed in repurposed FEMA trailers and 'soft-sided temporary facilities,' a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN. The same tents are often used to house those displaced by natural disasters, like hurricanes, DeSantis' office said. They likely will provide the only shelter from mother nature as summer in South Florida proves to be the region's wettest season, in part due to the tropical activity of hurricane season and daily thunderstorms. State officials said they are developing evacuation plans for the facility in the event of severe weather. CNN's Devon M. Sayers, Chelsea Bailey and Luke Snyder contributed to this report.
CNN
03-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
A group of lawmakers attempt to visit ‘Alligator Alcatraz' amid humanitarian concerns
Florida lawmakers worried about 'humanitarian concerns' are attempting to access 'Alligator Alcatraz' Thursday to inspect the grounds of the new detention center, just hours after the arrival of its first group of detainees. 'What's happening here is un-American,' Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones and four other Democratic state lawmakers said in a joint news release. 'What we're witnessing isn't about security or solving problems—it's about inhumane political theater that endangers real people.' The lawmakers spoke to reporters outside the facility Thursday afternoon but it's unclear whether they were allowed inside. Detainees arrived at the facility in the middle of the Florida Everglades, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said Thursday, following reports of flooding earlier this week. The lawmakers noted there have been reports of extreme heat, structural issues, environmental threats, and human rights violations that 'demand immediate oversight.' President Donald Trump toured the facility Tuesday and shortly after, summer storms amid the region's hurricane season brought flooding to it, adding to a list of concerns about the facility's readiness to house migrants. Wires were seen submerged in pooling water across the floor and high winds made the facility's floor and walls tremble, reporter video from CNN affiliate Spectrum News 13 showed. A combination of weather observations and estimates from radar indicate that anywhere from around 0.40 to 1.5 inches of rain fell at the facility in less than two hours on Tuesday, according to CNN Weather. Later that night, 'vendors went back and tightened any seams at the base of the structures that allowed water intrusion during the heavy storm, which was minimal,' Stephanie Hartman, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Emergency Management, told CNN. But more rainfall could be on the horizon amid the region's hurricane season and the chance for storms in the forecast every day in the next week, according to CNN Weather. It's unclear how many detainees are currently being housed at the compound as of Thursday, but it has the capacity to hold 3,000 people, with room for more, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said in a roundtable Tuesday alongside Trump. Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said authorities will 'expand facilities and bed space in just days.' Nestled in the middle of Florida's humid, subtropical wetland ecosystem, 'Alligator Alcatraz' was transformed from a training and transition airport to a temporary tent city for migrants. The expected cost to run the detention center for one year is $450 million, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN, adding that Florida will front the costs of the facility and then 'submit reimbursement requests' through FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the facility is necessary to alleviate burdens on the state's law enforcement agencies and jails, and touted it for being designed to be 'completely self-contained' – which has prompted local immigration rights advocates to accuse the DeSantis administration of creating a facility 'engineered to enact suffering.' 'Clearly from a security perspective, if someone escapes, there's a lot of alligators you're going to have to contend (with),' DeSantis said last week. 'No one is going anywhere once you do that. It's as safe and secure as you can be.' Migrants will be housed in repurposed FEMA trailers and 'soft-sided temporary facilities,' a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN. The same tents are often used to house those displaced by natural disasters, like hurricanes, DeSantis' office said. They likely will provide the only shelter from mother nature as summer in South Florida proves to be the region's wettest season, in part due to the tropical activity of hurricane season and daily thunderstorms. State officials said they are developing evacuation plans for the facility in the event of severe weather. CNN's Devon M. Sayers, Chelsea Bailey and Luke Snyder contributed to this report.
