Stephen Colbert: Trump can wage war without grasping the consequences

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert examined what led to President Donald Trump ordering an airstrike that killed Iran’s top general.

The long wait finally ended as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert returned from its holiday hiatus. But it wasn’t exactly good news that Stephen Colbert and company returned to yet the show still did its best to entertain and inform.

Colbert dedicated his first monologue of 2020 to President Donald Trump’s decision to launch an airstrike in Iraq that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani. The move escalated tension between the U.S. and Iran and was largely criticized by foreign policy experts, Democrats, and other world leaders.

The Late Show has spent countless hours mocking President Trump for his rallies, Twitter meltdowns, and embarrassing moments on the world stage. But on Monday night, Colbert said that all of that pales in comparison to what should really disturb Americans: President Trump waging war without understanding the consequences.

Watch as Colbert admits that he’s not entirely sure if what President Trump did was a good idea or bad idea but that it was definitely a big idea. Colbert shows no signs of rust and proves he’s ready to pick up 2020 where he left off in 2019:

The subject matter is very serious and there are very legitimate threats being exchanged between the U.S. and Iran. But Colbert can turn it into comedy, or at least nervous laughter, just with a few jokes at the expense of either side. His impression of President Trump reading his tweets will always get the Late Show audience laughing.

Prior to taking a holiday hiatus, The Late Show was on a streak of calling out Republicans defending President Trump against impeachment. Colbert picked this up on Monday night, this time going after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and efforts to dismiss President Trump’s threats of war crimes.

Colbert quickly points out the disconnect between what Secretary Pompeo said on television and what President Trump said and tweeted. For the comedian, it’s just another example of the lack of strategy and coordination throughout the White House. It doesn’t exactly instill confidence that President Trump understands what he’s doing.

Colbert continues with that point by noting President Trump did little to reassure the American public or share any hint of a larger plan when it comes to Iran. Tweeting an image of the flag does not qualify. And reports of how President Trump came to the decision to eliminate Qasem Soleimani didn’t help either.

Many of President Donald Trump’s supporters voted for him because he was a businessman, not a politician. But even a businessman should understand the consequences of certain actions and consider the risks and rewards. For Stephen Colbert, Donald Trump is neither a savvy negotiator nor a competent leader and it is the U.S. that will suffer the consequences.