Stephen Colbert Explains How Marco Rubio ‘Cannot Read The Room’

Following the horrific mass shooting at Douglas Stoneham School in Parkland, Florida, the debates over gun control have continued to rage. CNN hosted a town hall event for surviving teenagers and their parents were given the opportunity to speak directly to their representatives about their lack of action in the wake of so many mass shootings. Florida senator Marco Rubio was taken to task on a number of issues over the course of the town hall, including the fact that he has received an A+ rating from the NRA and has the gun lobby’s funding to prove it.

On Thursday night’s episode of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert broke down a number of Rubio’s faux pas, including the fact that the man cannot read the room at all. When Rubio suggests that the banning of semi-automatic weapons would be the ultimate price of greater gun regulations, his audience bursts into applause over that potential outcome. Clearly taken aback by their response, Rubio ceded with an “Okay. Fair enough.” Colbert imitated the senator, saying “Now, look, we’d have to get rid of guns and then it’s a slippery slope to fewer dead people. Oh, you’d like that? I guess it takes all kinds.”

However, Colbert’s pointed out the ridiculous coverage of Rubio’s appearance, with many in the media calling him brave just for showing up.

“OK, here’s the thing: just showing up isn’t that impressive. He works for those people. If your boss calls you into their office, you can’t say ‘Yes, I hit a customer. Yes, I turned the break room into a sex dungeon, and yes, I’m currently very high. But, I showed up knowing that you’d be really mad, and I should get some credit for that. Do you want to get high?’”