On a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Chris Hayes, the Emmy award-winning host of MSNBC’s All in with Chris Hayes, made an appearance as a guest. As the audience welcomed him with applause, Hayes settled in for an exciting and insightful conversation with Colbert.
Before diving into the discussion, Colbert surprised Hayes with a birthday present, recognizing that it was his special day. The late-night host presented him with a stress ball that amusingly read “F asterisk asterisk.”
However, the talk soon shifted to a breaking news story that Hayes had to share with the audience. Just before the show began, the Supreme Court made an announcement regarding Donald Trump‘s attempt to claim absolute presidential immunity against the January 6 prosecution.
Describing the Supreme Court’s decision, Hayes revealed that they granted a stay to Trump, effectively pausing the proceedings. This meant that Jack Smith, the prosecutor, could not proceed with the case until further notice. Arguments on the matter are set to be heard on April 22nd, nine weeks from the day of the announcement.
Hayes expressed his concern over the Supreme Court’s decision, emphasizing the time it took them to come to this conclusion. He found it suspicious that they burned 15 days without any significant action before scheduling oral arguments for seven weeks later. Hayes believed that this delay seemed like the Supreme Court was doing Trump a favor, giving him more time to avoid going to trial.
The Late Show guest highlighted the importance of knowing whether the President of the United States engaged in an insurrection against his own government. Regardless of personal opinions, Hayes argued that American voters deserved the truth, whether Trump is found guilty or acquitted. He stressed that the American public has a fundamental right to know the outcome of a trial concerning such a grave political crime.
Colbert agreed, acknowledging the importance of understanding the Supreme Court’s actions in this case. He pointed out that every day crossed off on the calendar without any progress benefits Trump, which both the Supreme Court and Trump himself are aware of.
Hayes further illustrated his point by referencing the historic USV Nixon case in 1974. In that case, which determined that a president could be prosecuted, the Supreme Court issued their opinion just three weeks after the arguments were heard. This demonstrates that the Court is capable of moving quickly when it wants to.
Although it is likely that the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s immunity case won’t be announced until the end of June, Hayes hinted that the Court could move faster if they desired. However, he expressed skepticism, noting that the Court’s recent actions suggested otherwise.
In his closing remarks, Hayes stressed that the public should be aware of what the Supreme Court is doing and understand the implications. He urged everyone to pay attention to the court’s actions and not be deceived by procedural complexities or vague statements. The situation at hand demands scrutiny, and the public deserves full transparency.
As the interview ended and the show went to a commercial break, viewers were left with plenty to ponder and a sense of urgency regarding the Supreme Court’s handling of Trump’s immunity case.
