Stephen Colbert sees Paul Ryan's hesitancy to go all the way with Trump, gives him 'the talk'

Stephen Colbert has some advice for Paul Ryan

(Image credit: Late Show)

Stephen Colbert kicked off his look at establishment Republican ambivalence about Donald Trump with a joke about particle physics and Schrödinger's cat — "everybody knows people love quantum physics jokes," he said on Tuesday's Late Show. But he quickly homed in on "the endorsement Donald Trump really needs," and hasn't received, from House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump and Ryan are meeting on Thursday, because Ryan said last week he wasn't ready to endorse Trump and that caused quite a ruckus.

Colbert looked at the situation and saw a teaching moment — or at least a chance for some vaguely uncomfortable humor. "Speaker Ryan may not be ready to support Trump right now, but some day he hopes to, and wants to," Colbert said. "I just want to give him a little advice." You can probably see where this is going. "You want the first time you endorse Donald Trump to be special," Colbert said, for example. "I mean, look at Chris Christie: He rushed right in to endorse, and now everywhere he goes is a walk of shame." Watch the whole "talk" below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.