Stephen Colbert opened "The Late Show" Tuesday night by addressing the war between President Donald Trump and two Republican senators, Jeff Flake and Bob Corker. "The Late Show" played a clip of Flake's speech on the Senate floor: "I will not be complicit or silent," Flake said of Trump's lack of civility and instability.
"No, I will be complicit and absent," Colbert said after the clip ended.
Colbert told his audience that there was an "internal strife" tearing the Republican party apart at the seams. “It’s like a new civil war, only this time neither side is trying to help black people," he joked.
The late-night comedian continued his monologue, explaining why Flake and Bob Corker's reprimands were so spineless, perhaps even craven.
"Why is it that Republicans only speak up against Donald Trump when they know they're not running for reelection?" Colbert said. "They finally grow a set. Then they say, 'I'm taking my balls and going home.'"
Colbert isn't wrong. While Trump has obviously lost the respect of these two prominent senators, it appears he still has their legislative support. Both Flake and Corker have already stated that they were not advocating Trump be removed from office. Moreover, neither have shown any signs that they'll stand in the way of the Trump administration's agenda. While Flake and Corker may denounce Trump from a perch, they won't be striking any deals across the aisle.
To get more specific, Flake not only supported Trump's controversial Cabinet picks, such as Jeff Sessions and Betsy DeVos, he also blocked legislation that prevents consumers from suing big banks.
Obviously, Trump has responded to Flake's criticism, saying that the senator from Arizona was not running because he would lose the election. His tweets were "the latest shots from Fort Trumpter," as Colbert describes them, but they also showed that even if Republican senators are personally attacked by the president, they will still back him in the push to cut taxes.
Watch Colbert rip Flake below:
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