Stephen Colbert criticises Trump’s response to New Zealand terror attack: ‘He never condemns racists’

'He has a particularly bad record with Muslims'

Stephen Colbert has criticised Donald Trump's response to the mosque terror attack in New Zealand.

The US host began Monday night's episode of The Late Show on a sombre note, saying: “You know, the world is still reeling from Friday’s terror attack in New Zealand on two mosques by a white supremacist in which 50 Muslim worshipers were killed. All of our hearts go out to those at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques and the great people of New Zealand.”

Colbert soon turned his attention to Trump who was criticised for releasing a statement that failed to describe the event as an act of terror despite New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern doing so the night before.

He also tweeted a link a far-right website that peddles xenophobia and extremist ideologies, which he later deleted.

“Trump has trouble showing love for things that are not him, and he has a particularly bad record with Muslims,” Colbert said. “So he’s in a bind. On the one hand, after a terror attack to condemn the extremist ideology of the terrorist should be a slam-dunk. On the other hand, he can’t jump.”

Colbert continued: “Also, he never ever condemns the racists. He calls himself a nationalist. I’m just saying, if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, then why does it keep goose-stepping?”

The host went on to reveal he had scheduled a visit to New Zealand but had since cancelled those plans.

"Obviously we’re not going to go down now but we hope to go down in the future and again, we want to say to everyone down there how sad and heartbroken we are for what that country is going through.”

Fifty people were killed and 48 more injured in shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch on Friday. A 28-year-old Australian, Brenton Tarrant, has since appeared in court charged with murder.