Here is a concise summary of the transcript:
**Topic:** Stephen Colbert's monologue on The Late Show about President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey
**Key Points:**
1. **Firing of James Comey**: Trump fired Comey, citing his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which Colbert finds unconvincing.
2. **Motivation Speculation**: Colbert believes Trump's true motive was to stop the Russian investigation, which Comey had recently sought more resources to pursue.
3. **Unprecedented Move**: The firing is historically unprecedented, with some comparing it to Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre.
4. **Administration's Response**: Trump's team, including Kellyanne Conway and Press Secretary Sean Spicer, struggled to defend the decision, with Spicer notably hiding in bushes to avoid reporters.
5. **Implications**: Colbert suggests the move won't end the Russian investigation and proposes a special prosecutor to oversee it, to audience applause.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, excluding opinions, with each fact numbered and in brief sentence form:
1. **Event**: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert discussed the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
2. **Firing Method**: James Comey found out he was fired during a meeting when a TV in the background flashed the news.
3. **Pre-Firing Planning**: Trump had been planning to fire Comey for at least a week before the event.
4. **Role in Firing Process**: Attorney General Jeff Sessions was asked by Trump to come up with reasons to fire Comey.
5. **Actual Reasoning Document**: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein provided the reasons, focusing on Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
6. **Trump's Letter**: Trump sent a letter to Comey stating he appreciated being informed he was not under investigation, yet concurred with the DOJ's judgment that Comey couldn't effectively lead the FBI.
7. **Historical Comparison**: Comey's firing is historically unprecedented, with some comparisons to Richard Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre in 1973.
8. **Nixon Library Statement**: The Nixon Library tweeted that President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI.
9. **Reaction to Firing**: Both sides of the aisle had previously been critical of Comey, leading White House officials to believe his firing would be a "win-win".
10. **Investigation Continuation**: Senator Susan Collins expressed confidence that the Russian investigations would continue despite Comey's firing.
11. **Trump's Expectation**: Trump expected critics would eventually come around to thanking him for firing Comey.
12. **Kellyanne Conway's Appearance**: Kellyanne Conway appeared on CNN to discuss the firing, showing a perceived disdain for the questioning.
13. **Sean Spicer Incident**: Press Secretary Sean Spicer hid in the bushes to avoid answering reporters' questions about Comey's firing.
14. **Reason for Anger**: Trump's anger leading to the firing was reportedly due to the Russia investigation not disappearing.
15. **Investigation Resource Request**: Just before his firing, Comey had requested a significant increase in money and personnel for the Russia investigation.