There were plenty of dumb hot takes from the left after a Tuesday speech by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to an assembled audience of generals and admirals, but CBS’s Stephen Colbert may have had the dumbest. For some reason, The Late Show host tried to tie Hegseth’s observation that the people in the crowd “kill people and break things” to other ongoing conversations about the need to dial down inflammatory political rhetoric.
Colbert also didn’t seem to understand who Hegseth’s audience was as he introduced a clip of the speech, “Because in the actual speech, Hegseth went five-star douche, and at one point, pegged the camera with what he was sure was gonna be an applause line.”
In the clip, Hegseth declared, “Should our enemies choose foolishly to challenge us, they will be crushed by the violence, precision, and ferocity of the War Department. In other words, to our enemies: FAFO.”
Colbert reacted by suggesting Hegseth failed at stand up, “Oh. Oh, no. I know that feeling. I've been there. When you think it's gonna land, that quiet crowd really hurts. It happens to a lot of people.”
If the generals and admirals responded with the kind of applause or laughter Colbert thinks Hegseth wanted, then he would say the speech was an improper politicization of the military. Nevertheless, Colbert continued to appear to be confused by the idea that the military exists to deter the nation’s enemies and defeat them should that fail as he introduced another clip, “Hegseth went all-in on what he calls his ‘warrior ethos.’"
This time, Hegseth was shown telling the audience, “Today is another liberation day. The liberation of America's warriors, in name, in deed, and in authorities. You kill people and break things for a living.”
A sarcastic Colbert replied, “I'll say it. The Democrats have got to turn down the temperature on their violent rhetoric.”
That makes no sense. Examining Democratic rhetoric after the Charlie Kirk assassination and the targeting of an ICE facility in Dallas has no relation to Hegseth not sugarcoating what war is.
Here is a transcript for the September 30 show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
9/30/2025
11:40 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: Because in the actual speech, Hegseth went five-star douche, and at one point, pegged the camera with what he was sure was gonna be an applause line.
PETE HEGSETH: Should our enemies choose foolishly to challenge us, they will be crushed by the violence, precision, and ferocity of the War Department. In other words, to our enemies: FAFO.
COLBERT: Oh. Oh, no. I know that feeling. I've been there. When you think it's gonna land, that quiet crowd really hurts. It happens to a lot of people, reminds me of when Queen played Wembley.
FREDDIE MERCURY: Aaaay-oooh
[Crickets sound effect]
MERCURY: Aaaayyyyyy-ooh!
[Crickets sound effect][Cough]
COLBERT: Hegseth went all-in on what he calls his "warrior ethos."
HEGSETH: Today is another liberation day. The liberation of America's warriors, in name, in deed, and in authorities. You kill people and break things for a living.
COLBERT: I'll say it. The Democrats have got to turn down the temperature on their violent rhetoric.