Late-night TV show host Stephen Colbert faces a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation for obscene speech after making a "homophobic" Donald Trump joke.
Colbert, host of the The Late Show on CBS, made an oral sex joke on Monday night (local time) about Mr Trump and Putin during a scathing diatribe against the US President.
"The only thing your mouth is good at is being Vladimir Putin's c**k holster," he said of Mr Trump.
It triggered a #FireColbert Twitter hashtag, with Trump supporters on Wednesday calling for a boycott of CBS Corp advertisers - some accusing Colbert of being homophobic, others accusing left-wingers of hypocrisy, and still more defending the comedian.
"Colbert's homophobia rant was disgusting and we won't tolerate this anti-LGBTQ behaviour," wrote Scott Presler, chairman of Virginia Beach Young Republicans, on Twitter.
Now, the FCC - which regulates communications in the US - has announced it will "take the appropriate action" after receiving "a number" of complaints.
The FCC's investigation will hinge on whether Colbert's comments are considered "obscene".
"We are going to take the facts that we find and 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," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told Talk Radio 1210 WPHT on Thursday (local time).
"Traditionally, the agency has to decide, if it does find a violation, what the appropriate remedy should be," he said. "A fine, of some sort, is typically what we do."
So far, Colbert has refused to back down from his controversial statements.
"I don't regret that," he said. "[Trump], I believe, can take care of himself. I have jokes - he has the launch codes. So, it's a fair fight."
Newshub.
