Stephen Colbert isn't surprised Trump assaults Mother Nature, but he's shocked someone punished Russia

Stephen Colbert on Trump and Mother Nature

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show)

On Tuesday's Late Show, Stephen Colbert noted that President Trump is going all-out to support accused teen molester Roy Moore, but "he's also been assaulting Mother Nature," Colbert said. On Monday, Trump announced that he will slash the size of two national monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. "It's reasonable that he doesn't care about them," Colbert said. "They're just national monuments, they're not Confederate monuments."

So Trump is "opening millions of acres of protected land to strip-mining, but on the bright side, 'Escalante' is the first time he's ever spoken Spanish (if you don't count 'taco bowl')," Colbert said. Native Americans aren't so amused, since the national monuments contain an estimate 100,000 native cultural and archaeological sites, and they're suing. "You know, if Trump ahead with this plan, I'm worried that Native Americans will stop trusting the federal government," Colbert deadpanned.

Colbert was less perturbed by the news that the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from the 2018 Winter Games over its doping scandal, but he was surprised: "That is shocking — Russia was punished for interfering with the results of something?"

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Speaking of Russia, former Trump campaign chairman "Paul Manafort wants the court to relax the conditions of his house arrest, but unfortunately for Paul Manafort, Paul Manafort is an idiot," Colbert said, pointing to the op-ed he apparently ghostwrote, in violation of the terms of his incarceration. "Of course, the main thing Manafort needs to do is distance himself from any connections to Russia," he added. "So, naturally, his collaborator was a 'long-time Russian colleague ... who is currently based in Russia and ... [has] ties to a Russian intelligence service.' Manafort is so tied to Russia, he's gonna get banned from the Olympics." Watch 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.