Anti-Israel protesters interrupted an interview with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Tuesday night as she discussed President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the ongoing Democratic National Convention (DNC).
The disruption occurred as Pelosi addressed Colbert’s question about her role in Biden’s decision to step down from the presidential race potentially. Shouting from the audience broke out, prompting Colbert to acknowledge the disturbance. “For those who can’t tell, there’s a protest going on in the audience,” Colbert said.
He explained, “We’re actually at a commercial break, and the subject is Israel and Palestine. We have to go to the commercial break if you have a seat. When we return, I’ll ask the next question I had on that subject if you’ll listen.”
Protests related to Israel have been ongoing outside the DNC in Chicago throughout the week, with local authorities responding by increasing police presence and erecting a fence around the event centre to maintain order.
After returning from the commercial break, Colbert steered the conversation towards U.S. foreign policy. “As I said earlier, there is a political protester here. There is a political convention in town; you are a politician, and protests are natural.
People are protesting, even within the Democratic Party, and there is debate over what is the proper use of American power, especially our protected power overseas, both firm and soft power.
If the goal is the peaceful and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians, what role does the United States play?” he asked Pelosi.
In her response, Pelosi emphasized Biden’s foreign policy experience and reaffirmed the U.S.’s longstanding commitment to Israel. She acknowledged the complex situation, stating, “A terrorist organization attacked Israel. We want the hostages freed. But we don’t want children killed in Gaza. And so we have to come up with a solution.”
Pelosi further noted that Israel had agreed to a ceasefire and expressed hope that Hamas would follow suit. She stressed, “It takes me to the point of saying that war has no role in a civilized society.”
However, her remarks failed to satisfy the protesters, who once again interrupted by shouting back Pelosi’s words. Colbert addressed the protesters directly, asking them not to interrupt his guest and allowing Pelosi to respond.
Pelosi reiterated the necessity of a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the protesters only grew louder in their dissent.
Maintaining his host role, Colbert urged the protesters to refrain from further interruptions. “Please don’t interrupt my guest,” he said before wrapping up the segment. “Madame Speaker, we’re a live show and must go now. Please come again, and we can continue the conversation.”
Colbert, who has been a vocal supporter of the Democratic Party and hosted a fundraiser for Biden during his presidential campaign, is hosting his show from Chicago this week in conjunction with the DNC, rather than its usual location in New York.
