Stephen Colbert Calls on Americans to Lead with Love

At a time when division feels sharper than ever, what this country needs most are examples of empathy, fairness, and calm conversation.

On Sunday night, at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert finally won its first Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series — a major milestone after more than 30 nominations over the past decade.

During an emotional acceptance speech, standing alongside his production team, Colbert recalled a conversation he once had with director Spike Jonze. Back in 2015, he told Jonze: “I’d like to do a late-night comedy show that’s about love.” He ended with a heartfelt message: “I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave — and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.”

It was one of the most unifying messages heard in months. In a time marked by violence, entrenched ideology, and political gridlock, Colbert chose to center his speech on something almost absent from public discourse: love. His choice to build a talk show — and comedy — around that idea isn’t sentimental or weak. It’s defiant.

No matter who you voted for, which podcast you play during your commute, or what you argue about at the dinner table, the past few weeks have been brutal. Headlines about mass shootings and political violence seem relentless. That’s why Colbert’s message felt so powerful — a jolt of cold water on a blistering hot day.

I spent two summers in college interning at The Colbert Report, the Comedy Central predecessor to The Late Show. At 19, I was terrified, convinced my future in television depended on my performance. I was so nervous I even tripped on the studio stairs my first day. Stephen was consistently kind, calm, and present — the way a true leader should be. He knew everyone’s name, even the interns, and would offer advice and encouragement whenever we needed it.

If Colbert were a different kind of entertainer, he might be furious. The Late Show was abruptly canceled in July, just days after he criticized Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with former President Donald Trump, calling it a “big fat bribe.” Many now see Colbert’s show as a sacrificial lamb — an example of the loyalty demanded by those in power.

Whatever your politics, Colbert has become a symbol in America’s increasingly urgent battle over free speech. He has modeled how to take a stand without rage — and with love. With the show’s cancellation, he has himself become a representation of how politicized the right to free expression has become.

Some might find it naïve or overly sentimental to build a comedy show on love. I don’t. By now, most Americans have seen what hate can do. It narrows your world, shuts out reason, and keeps you locked on a single destructive path. But hate is unsustainable. It eats away at humanity, kills joy, and dries up compassion. If we keep letting it grow, we may one day find an America so fractured that nothing can put it back together again.