Unlike his Daily Show counterpart Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert insisted there was “nothing to see” Tuesday regarding Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) Ohio soup kitchen dust-up.

“Ryan’s town hall ran a little late, so he missed homeless breakfast,” Colbert said. “What’s he supposed to do — charity on the needy’s schedule?”

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The GOP candidate for vice president, Colbert said, has been victimized since being accused of faking a photo op at the kitchen, so he had a message for people quick to judge him: “Save the candidates.”

“This is Paul,” Colbert said, as a photo of Ryan appeared next to him. “Some day he wants to be vice president of the United States. But he needs your help. For just a few minutes a day, you can provide Paul with the photo ops he desperately needs to look like he cares. Anything you give will help. A handful of orphans to stand near. A disabled vet to wave at. Even a homeless man to pet. Won’t you call now and help this young man live up to his dreams of cutting all your government funding?”

Watch Colbert’s defense of Ryan, aired Tuesday on Comedy Central, below.