Face in the News: Comedian Stephen Colbert, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Dr. Ben Carson recap 2015
WASHINGTON (CBS News) - As 2015 comes to an end, this week's broadcast recapped the year and offered insight into 2016. In a rare interview, we spoke with the host of CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." During the interview the late-night host gave his thoughts about the candidacy of businessman and Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump. The comedian also spoke with "Face the Nation" host, John Dickerson, about the other top stories of 2015, including his thoughts on Pope Francis after his historic visit to the United States. Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), also appeared on Sunday's broadcast and explained his belief that he could appeal to many of Trump's supporters. Finally, retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson appeared on the show and spoke about the death of Sandra Bland as well as the future of his campaign heading into 2016.
Before he was the host of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the late-night comedian was the host of Comedy Central's, "The Colbert Report," where he created an exaggerated version of a right-wing news pundit that was always on the attack. According to Colbert, the Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump is playing that part, and better than the comedian could himself.
"I'm not the first person to say this, but I completely agree that he's my old character with $10 billion." Colbert said and added, "he's completely playing on an emotional level, and so beautifully. I mean, it's one of the reasons why I just can't do that old character anymore, because he's doing it better than I ever could."
During our conversation with Stephen Colbert, host of "Face the Nation," John Dickerson, asked the comedian what he would have asked Pope Francis had he been given the opportunity to interview the head of the Catholic Church during his time in the United States this year. Colbert, a Catholic himself, was most interested in how the Pope is able to project so much joy.
"I would have asked him about joy and where he finds his joy, like how did he become St. Peter?" The comedian said. Referring to his own late-night show as "the joy-machine," Colbert described the constant grind of his show adding, "unless you do it with joy, it's just a machine. And in less than five minutes a week, it will grind you up and spit you out."
Our conversation with Stephen Colbert made news in The Washington Post, The Orlando Sentinel, Mediaite, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Mail, The New York Post, Time Magazine, The Washington Examiner, The Week Magazine, Rolling Stone and Variety.
We also spoke with Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), who believes that during the primary season he can get a boost from many of Donald Trump's supporters.
"Many of Trump's supporters are working-class people. And they are angry." The Vermont Senator said and added, "They're angry because they are working longer hours for lower wages. They're angry because their jobs have left this country and gone to China or other low-wage countries. They're angry because they can't afford to send their kids to college or they can't retire with dignity."
Bernie Sanders believes that Trump is using his supporter's anger and, "Converting them into anger against Mexicans, and anger against Muslims." Which according to Sanders, it is dividing the nation.
We also spoke to the Senator about the remarks he made in response to a grand jury in Texas deciding that no felony was committed in the death of Sandra Bland. Sanders, reaffirmed his thoughts saying, "It is my very strong inclination that, if she was white middle- class woman, that would not have happened."
Retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, was not as quick to inject race into the matter.
"I think we also have a tendency to inject race into everything any time that there are people of different races involved in a conflict." Carson said, but also noted that, "There's no question that we need to be looking at some of the various things that are going on in the Justice Department to make it more sensitive to people."
During Sunday's broadcast, the neurosurgeon continued to downplay reports of instability within his campaign. Looking ahead to 2016 however, Carson admitted that, "there will be some alterations."
"One thing I want to do is have a much more robust response to attacks, particularly when they are false. And we have kind of taken a nonchalant attitude towards that. I think that's the wrong thing to do. So, you will see much more aggressiveness in that region." Carson said.
Our interviews Sen. Bernie Sanders and Dr. Ben Carson made news in Politico, The New York Post, Gawker, CNN, Business Insider, AP, The Fiscal Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal and UPI.