Stephen Colbert used his opening monologue on Monday night to speak directly about the deadly shooting in Minneapolis, and his anger was clear from the start. He began by thanking the audience for coming out to the show despite a severe winter storm that had brought snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to New York and much of the country. It was a light opening, but it didn’t last long.
Colbert quickly shifted to what was really on his mind. He said there were two words everyone could probably agree on, words that had nothing to do with the weather. He then bluntly said “Fuck ICE.” The moment hit hard, and the audience immediately erupted into loud cheers and applause, showing just how strongly many people in the room felt.
He spent the rest of his monologue talking about Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend. Colbert explained that Pretti had been out on the streets during ongoing protests and was trying to film federal agents with his phone. According to reports and video footage, Pretti did not appear to be armed or threatening when the shooting happened.
Colbert criticized officials from the Trump administration for how they responded afterward. He pointed out that senior figures, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, publicly described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” even though they provided no evidence to back up that claim. Colbert noted that the video recordings that later surfaced seemed to tell a very different story from what the administration was saying.
As he laid out the details, Colbert spoke slowly and clearly, emphasizing how disturbing the situation looked to ordinary Americans watching from home. He said that, based on the footage, it appeared that masked government agents confronted an American citizen, took away any ability he had to defend himself, and then shot him in the street. He added that while officials might try to explain it away with statements and talking points, the images themselves were hard to ignore.
The monologue captured the anger, fear, and disbelief many people are feeling about the incident and about the power federal agencies now exercise during protests. Colbert’s comments were not just about one shooting, but about a growing concern that the government is using force first and explanations later. His message, judging by the audience reaction, struck a nerve with viewers who feel that accountability is missing and that the truth is being buried behind political labels and accusations.
