The U.S. has the most coronavirus deaths out of any country in the world, with over 200,000 people now dead. This, as Late Show host Stephen Colbert pointed out, is also more deaths than Americans killed in battle during the last five wars combined.
Meanwhile, President Trump told an Ohio crowd on Tuesday that COVID-19 affects “virtually nobody.” Apparently older people and those with medical conditions don’t count.
“‘They say 200,000 people have died, but I haven’t heard from any of them,'” quipped Colbert, imitating Trump. “‘Raise your hand if you’ve died from coronavirus. See? Nobody.'”
Colbert further skewered the CDC’s Halloween guidelines, which advise greater social distancing when screaming, as well as its apparently mistaken coronavirus guidance update last Friday.
The CDC’s updated advice said coronavirus particles could be airborne and travel further than six feet — “kinda important information just to slip in there on a Friday afternoon,” Colbert noted. However, this advice was abruptly removed yesterday, with the CDC explaining it had been a draft that was accidentally published.
“Well that’s embarrassing,” said Colbert. “You published a first draft? I mean, come up with joke here about how this embarrassing, maybe a metaphor, figure it out later. Note: CBS lawyers won’t let you have jokes that involve masturbation.”