‘…The Wisdom to Know That Donald Trump Is a Complete Disaster’: Colbert Rewrites ‘Serenity Prayer’ for Dr. Fauci

Late Show host Stephen Colbert skewered President Donald Trump for his yin-yang relationship with infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose tact and patience for gently and diplomatically correcting the president is now legendary.

Colbert pointed to Fauci’s “it is what it is” comments to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, where the public health official clearly seemed to confirm that the Trump administration could’ve saved lives had it intervened earlier to stop the spread of the coronavirus. (Fauci walked back those comments on Monday, claiming they were about a hypothetical question.)

“That is admirable restraint,” Colbert said of Fauci’s delicate balancing act. “You can tell Fauci knows the ‘Serenity Prayer’: ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know that Trump is a complete disaster.'”

“He’s going to fire Anthony Fauci. The only guy in the room who knows what the hell’s talking about,” Colbert then warned, pointing to Trump’s not-so-subtle retweet on Sunday night of someone promoting the “#FireFauci” hashtag. “This is how it always happens: He retweets someone saying he should fire somebody, as if he doesn’t have the power to do that. Then his staff denies it, then he fires them anyway, and replaces them with the first guest he saw on Fox News. So get ready for new director of allergy and infectious disease: Kid Rock!”

“Trump has also complained to confidantes that he’s made Fauci a ‘star,” mocked Colbert. “Oh, sure — that’s why you go into infectious diseases: To be a star. You can read all about the most glamorous epidemiologists in PUs Weekly. But here’s the worst: During a task force meeting last month, Trump asked Fauci: ‘Why don’t we let this wash over the country?’ To which a stunned Fauci responded, ‘Mr. President, many people would die.’ Okay…sounds like his first instinct was maybe let them die, now that seems sounds monstrous, but Trump was just following the advice of his Secretary of Commerce: Thanos. Some people say that Trump values the economy over human life to help his reelection, but I’m sure he’s not just thinking about himself. Remember all of his buildings are branded ‘Other People.'”

Watch the video above, via CBS.