Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill made an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Monday night, Dec. 1, less than two weeks after she officially resigned from her seat in Congress.
During their conversation, Colbert and Sherrill touched on several topics, starting with her Nov. 4 win alongside Democrats New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.
Colbert asked Sherrill if she thinks there is a commonality between these Democratic victories, to which she responded, “Yeah, I think fighting hard for people, listening to people on the ground, and delivering on a different vision than what is being presented by the president in Washington. People, I think right now, these are scary times, and to navigate this it’s going to take some real leadership.”
Colbert then brought up President Donald Trump, asking Sherrill what “resisting his agenda” looks like to her now as she prepares to become New Jersey’s next governor.
“Obviously there are areas where I really need the federal government to start performing better,” Sherrill said. “When it comes to infrastructure, when it comes to SNAP, schools, medical care, etc., so we’re gonna fight that and work with anybody in the administration who we can to deliver on those promises.”
She continued, “But that doesn’t mean in any way, shape, or form hiding, or ducking, or not standing up against those things that are going on that are so wrong.”
Finally, Colbert asked Sherrill, as a member of Congress and former Navy helicopter pilot, to explain what has been happening in the Caribbean.
“As members of Congress do you get updates to what the administration is doing and any evidence they present?” he asked.
“In its oversight responsibilities, Congress should get just that,” Sherrill said, adding that members of the House Armed Services Committee have stated that the administration owes them evidence and a hearing regarding the recent bombings.
Since September, the Trump administration has attacked at least 21 boats traversing international waters, killing 83 people, USA TODAY reports. While the president and other officials are defending the strikes as an attempt to crackdown on the illegal importation of narcotics, other lawmakers are criticizing them, claiming that the administration has provided no intelligence briefings or other evidence about the vessels.
On Nov. 28, as reported by USA TODAY, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to a Washington Post story that cited two anonymous sources claiming that he ordered military officials to leave no survivors after a missile struck a boat allegedly carrying drug cargo, leaving two people clinging to the wreck.
“It looks like it’s a war crime to me, as somebody who served, and what’s problematic about that is the fact that this country, that I’ve spent my life serving, is operating in this way,” Sherrill said. “It’s a stain on our honor, it’s horrible, it’s illegal, it’s awful, but it’s also now taking every single member of the armed forces and making them, once again as they do in many cases almost every day, stop and say, ‘What is my job here as I’m trying to serve the constitution?'”
She later continued, “So many people are trying to hold the line, but this type of incompetence, of disrespect for the military, of disrespect for our troops, of self-serving, it is just so offensive to me as a veteran and as somebody who cares so deeply about service to this country and the troops who serve this country.”
They closed the conversation on a more lighthearted note, with Sherrill telling the story of her second pregnancy, which she said concluded with her giving birth in a cab in Manhattan while on the way to the hospital.
Just weeks before this interview on Nov. 12, Sherrill announced her resignation from Congress during the U.S. House of Representatives’ first session back since the government shut down Oct. 1.
“I intend to submit my resignation next week and turn to protecting all of New Jersey,” she said. Sherrill has held her seat in the House since 2019. She officially relinquished her post at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20.
Sherrill will be sworn in as New Jersey’s next governor on Jan. 20, 2026.
How to watch Mikie Sherrill on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’
Did you miss Sherrill on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”? Not to worry! You can stream full episodes from Season 11 of the talk show on CBS.com or Paramount+.
Along with Sherrill, Monday night’s episode featured actress and singer Lady Gaga, a special appearance by Daniel Craig and a performance by Kristin Chenoweth and Stephen Schwartz from the Broadway production of “The Queen of Versailles.”
After running for more than three decades, beginning with David Letterman in 1993, The Late Show franchise will officially be retiring in May 2026. CBS announced the move in July, calling it a “financial decision” and citing the challenges of late night television.
