Late night hosts joke darkly about gun-toting Santa, secret superspreader Trump
COVID-19's Omicron variant appears to be more transmissible but less severe than the Delta variant, and that may be because "it shares genetic code with the common cold," Stephen Colbert said on Monday's Late Show. "This pandemic has gone on for so long, we're officially in the remix stage." Oh, and we're also "back at cruise ship COVID," he sighed. "What's next, a new season of Tiger King? There's what!?"
"The only thing spreading faster than Omicron is misinformation from conservatives," Colbert said, citing a tweet from Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-Wis.) claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci "overhyped" both COVID-19 and AIDS. He told Johnson where he could stick that comment.
Meanwhile, a Colorado sheriff's office raised eyebrows with a photo of Santa applying for a concealed-carry permit. "Wow, Santa's taking the War on Christmas very seriously," Colbert joked. "Now, Santa with a gun is an upsetting idea, but do not worry, kids. There's nothing to be nervous about. Santa is just an old loner who lives off the grid, keeps lists of your bad deeds, knows where you live, and can get into your house without waking your parents up."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

The Late Show also turned the gun-packing Santa story into song.
"In other toxic masculinity news, we're getting more details about the number of people who may have been infected by our former superspreader-in-chief," Donald Trump, Jimmy Kimmel said on Kimmel Live. "Between the day he tested positive and the day he was hospitalized for COVID, Trump came into close contact with more than 500 people." Trump "took no precautions after testing positive, he didn't cancel events, he was maskless inside the White House and on Air Force One," Kimmel said. "You know, if you didn't know him better, it's almost like he doesn't care about others."

Seriously, Trump was "like the Johnny Appleseed of COVID," but we only know how wide his potential circle of contagion was because of a tell-all book by Trump loyalist Mark Meadows, Seth Meyers said on Late Night. "I like that Trump's aides won't talk to Congress, but if they get a book deal they'll tell the entire world the worst s--t they can possibly think of." Among a long series of asides, Meyers also recapped how "Republicans and Fox News are suggesting a new variant of the coronavirus is a liberal hoax," and you can watch that below.

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Mountains of garbage are creating more hazards in Gaza
under the radar Gaza was already creating 1,700 tons of waste daily prior to the war
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 3, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Germany's conservatives win power amid far-right gains
Speed Read The party led by Friedrich Merz won the country's national election; the primary voter issues were the economy and immigration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia frees US teacher Marc Fogel in murky 'exchange'
Speed Read He was detained in Moscow for carrying medically prescribed marijuana
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Hamas pauses Gaza hostage release, upending ceasefire
Speed Read Hamas postponed the next scheduled hostage release 'until further notice,' accusing Israel of breaking the terms of their ceasefire deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Baltic States unplug from Russian grid, join EU's
Speed Read Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity grid to join the EU's network
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 11 killed in Sweden adult ed school shooting
Speed Read The worst mass shooting in Swedish history took place in Orebro
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Thailand
Speed Read The law grants same-sex spouses the same rights as married heterosexual couples
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top Israeli general to resign over Oct. 7 failures
Speed Read Herzi Halevi took responsibility for his failure to prevent the attacks that sparked Israel's war in Gaza
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published