Stephen Colbert Mocks Energy Department Conclusion on Covid Lab Leak Theory: ‘You Don’t See the Census Bureau Building Nukes’
Stephen Colbert mocked the Department of Energy’s conclusion that the Covid-19 pandemic likely began because of Chinese lab leak on Monday, likening the agency’s work on the subject to the “Census Bureau building nukes.”
In his monologue, Colbert first reacted to the news by declaring “Chinese wet markets, you’re off the hook!” before casting doubt on the findings. “Now, if like me you’re wondering why the Department of Energy is the one making this judgment, it’s because that agency oversees a network of national laboratories, some of which conduct advanced biological research.”
“No, no! Bad Energy Department, no bio-labs until you finish building your electric car-charging stations. Stay in your lane — you don’t see the Census Bureau building nukes,” continued the Late Show host. “But whatever, who am I to say? They’re the energy department, I’m sure they’re smart. They wouldn’t release these findings unless they were absolutely confident.”
“What’s that? They made their judgment with ‘low confidence,'” said Colbert, who noted that several other U.S. agencies still hold to the natural emergence theory of Covid-19’s origins. “Anyway, we’ll have more on this story as soon as anyone has anything they can prove.”
Colbert has long been skeptical of the lab leak theory, sparring with fellow comedian Jon Stewart in a viral exchange in 2021. “Oh my god, there’s a novel respiratory coronavirus overtaking Wuhan, China, what do we do? Oh, you know who we could ask? The Wuhan novel respiratory coronavirus lab. The disease is the same name as the lab. That’s just a little too weird!” said Stewart, who deemed the natural emergence theory risible. “There’s been an outbreak of chocolatey goodness near Hershey, Pennsylvania, what do you think happened? I don’t know, maybe a steam shovel made it with a cocoa bean. Or it’s the f***ing chocolate factory!”
“It could be possible, you could be right. It could be possible that they have the lab in Wuhan to study the novel coronavirus diseases because in Wuhan, there are a lot of novel coronavirus diseases because of the bat population there,” countered Colbert, to which Stewart replied “I understand, it’s a local specialty and it’s the only place to find bats. You won’t find bats anywhere else.”
Colbert also echoed much of the political press in arguing that the lab leak theory was a right-wing conspiracy. “How long have you worked for [Wisconsin Republican] Senator Ron Johnson?” he asked Stewart.
