Stephen Colbert apparently struck a nerve with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) when he mocked the two-term governor and potential presidential hopeful’s views on evolution.
Jindal unloaded on the comedian Wednesday in a stream of tweets:
.@Stephenathome, missed ur show last night, was too busy pulling out pages on evolution in my kids’ biology textbooks http://t.co/hSlZUjCWJc
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) October 1, 2014
If evolution is true @stephenathome, then why is your humor so far behind @thedailyshow? http://t.co/hSlZUjCWJc
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) October 1, 2014
You’re no Jon Stewart, but you are funny, Mr. Colbert. http://t.co/hSlZUjCWJc
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) October 1, 2014
.@stephenathome my kids tell me they’re learning about Charles Darwin in school…Common Core math is getting weird.
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) October 1, 2014
Colbert went after Jindal on Tuesday’s “The Colbert Report” for avoiding questions about whether he personally believes in the theory of evolution.
“Jindal believes evolution should be established science only on a local basis,” he said. “Take the Galapagos Islands: on one of them, the finches evolved longer beaks to punch holes in cactus fruit. On another island the beaks were shorter, because Jesus.”
The governor had finished fourth last weekend in the 2014 Values Voter Summit’s presidential straw poll and previously suggested he may launch a 2016 presidential bid. But Colbert also pointed out that a recent survey of New Hampshire Republican voters found Jindal trailing the option “none/no one” for President.
“So I applaud Bobby Jindal for so deftly floating this presidential trial balloon,” he said. “But please don’t call it that sir, because the science isn’t in on ballooning yet. I mean, if hot air rises, how come hell is below us?”
Watch the Colbert segment below, courtesy of Comedy Central: