Stephen Colbert rips Indiana state senator on Nazism remarks in Monday monologue

Talk show host Stephen Colbert roasted an Indiana lawmaker for nearly three minutes during his "Late Show" monologue Monday evening, saying Indiana state Sen. Scott Baldwin's proposed limits on teaching would "leave shop class and six hours of dodgeball" as the only things taught in Indiana schools. 

During a Wednesday committee hearing for Senate Bill 167, which would limit instruction on race, ethnicity, political ideology and a host over other topics as part of a nationwide Republican movement against purported critical race theory in schools, Baldwin suggested to history teacher Matt Bockenfeld teachers should remain neutral on fascism, Nazism and Marxism. 

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The comments, which he has since walked back in a statement to IndyStar, drew national news coverage and went viral on social media. 

"Baldwin's bill has been getting a lot of blowback for not letting teachers — teach," Colbert said. 

Colbert's audience let out a slightly delayed chorus of boos when shown video of the exchange between Baldwin and Bockenfeld. 

He then showed a scene from World War II epic "Saving Private Ryan," in which Capt. John H. Miller's (Tom Hanks' character) audio is doctored to say "don't shoot, let's hear the Nazis out" during a battle. 

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Colbert then criticized Baldwin's subsequent statement condemning Nazism, noting Baldwin was claiming to have "said the exact opposite" of what he meant to during the hearing. 

Finally, the host tied it to hip-hop with a parting joke: "Kind of like when Sir Mix-a-Lot was saying 'when I said I liked big butts and I can not lie, I failed to articulate that I’m actually more of a boob guy.'"

Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter at IndyStar. Contact him at 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryDoesPhonics.