Stephen Colbert sounded off about the resilience of New York City commuters during “The Late Show” Monday night, hours after a suspected ISIS-inspired terrorist detonated a bomb in the subway station under Port Authority Bus Terminal.
In his opening monologue, the late-night host said New Yorkers were “unfazed” by the attempt by Okayed Ullah, 27, who police said had a homemade pipe bomb strapped to his body.
“New York commuters don’t even flinch when the subway breakdancers kick two inches away from their face,” Colbert said. “You try to sow chaos and confusion in the Port Authority bus station? That is the normal state of affairs at the Port Authority bus station.”
He added: “You tried to terrorize New York and you failed. The worst you did is make the subways run late and the MTA does that just fine without your help.”
Colbert’s two-minute long opening, plagued with jokes relatable to any New Yorker, was met with cheers from his live studio audience and praise by those on Twitter looking for a comedic outlet following the incident.
“Laughing in the face of terrorists if one of the best things a person can do, let them know they’re a joke,” Twitter user Sean Millea wrote in response to the clip.
Some said Colbert was “exceptionally funny” Monday night, but others felt he took the monologue too far, adding that he “should have been more serious.”
Ullah was taken into custody following the explosion which happened around 7:20 a.m. in the walkway connecting Times Square and Eighth Avenue, police said. Called an “attempted terrorist attack” by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the explosion left three victims with minor injuries and Ullah suffered burns to the abdomen and hands, they added.
