US regulator said there was ‘nothing actionable’ about the late-night host’s sexual joke about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin earlier this month

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The Federal Communications Commission has confirmed it will not take any action against Stephen Colbert after a joke the late-night host made about Donald Trump prompted thousands of complaints.

Stephen Colbert to be investigated by FCC after 'offensive' Trump joke Read more

The FCC was inundated by complaints after the episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 1 May. The host quipped: “The only thing [Trump’s] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s cock-holster.”

Some critics suggested Colbert’s joke was homophobic. Within hours of the show airing the hashtag #FireColbert began trending worldwide.

In a statement released to Variety, an FCC spokesperson said: “Consistent with standard operating procedure, the FCC’s enforcement bureau has reviewed the complaints and the material that was the subject of these complaints.

“The bureau has concluded that there was nothing actionable under the FCC’s rules.”

At the time, the FCC’s chairman, Ajit Pai, said: “We are going to apply the law as it’s been set out by the supreme court and other courts, and we’ll take the appropriate action.”

Pai and the FCC have been criticised recently for their attempt to dismantle Obama-era net neutrality rules aimed at protecting an open internet.

Critics of the move say the changes could mean free speech would be at the mercy of broadband providers, who could kill new or existing streaming services.

Colbert, meanwhile, managed to win the late-night ratings war for 2016-17, taking the biggest overall audience in the slot away from NBC’s Tonight Show for the first time since 1995.