Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) got a lot of positive press for his defiant denouncement of Donald Trump from the Senate floor on Tuesday. But none of it came from Stephen Colbert.
“Mr. President, I rise today to say enough,” Flake said after announcing he would not be seeking re-election in 2018. “I must say that we have fooled ourselves for long enough that a pivot to governing is right around the corner. A return to civility and stability right behind it. We know better than that. Mr. President, I will not be complicit or silent.”
“No, I will be complicit and absent,” Colbert added.
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After Flake, who voted with President Trump 91.7 percent of the time, criticized Trump’s angry tweets against America’s allies abroad, Colbert said, “Hold on. You’re acting like all Donald Trump does is go on Twitter to threaten global stability. He also threatens football players.”
Later in his speech, Flake asked his Senate colleagues what they will tell the next generation about what they did to stop Trump. “Well, I think in the future, Jeff Flake will say, ‘I waited until I was quitting my job to point out the boss was a lunatic. Now, sit down and eat your radioactive dog meat.’”
“First McCain, then Corker, now Flake,” Colbert said. “Why is it that Republicans only speak up against Donald Trump when they know they’re not running for re-election? They finally grow a set, and then they say, ‘I’m taking my balls and going home!’”
