Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah hit Trump's 'insane' but unifying Kurdish betrayal, suggest a 'Kurd pro quo'
"Can we take away Donald Trump's phone?" Stephen Colbert asked on Monday's Late Show. The latest bad thing the president did on his phone is agree to withdraw U.S. troops from Kurdish-held northern Syria after a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he said. "This is a complete betrayal of the Kurdish fighters who helped the U.S. defeat ISIS, and there's only one way out of this: Kurds, you've got 24 hours to dig up dirt on Joe Biden."
Trump's decision brought swift condemnation from some of his most stalwart allies, Colbert said. "Look how uncomfortable the Fox & Friends are. ... I can't believe Trump has lost Brian Kilmeade. That's like Timmy losing Lassie." In fact, "people on both sides of the aisle unloaded on Trump for this betrayal, so Trump went on Twitter and went full twit," he said, pausing at Trump's "great and unmatched wisdom" line: "Wow, he's gone full god-emperor."
Colbert ran through a number of new devolvements in the Trump impeachment investigation, deadpanning: "They're really starting to build a case that the president did the thing he has repeatedly admitted."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yes, "the impeachment case against Donald Trump has seen a number of big developments," Trevor Noah said at The Daily Show. "A second whistleblower stepped forward, damning text messages from American diplomats were released, and Rudy Giuliani was caught going through Joe Biden's trash — yeah, he wasn't looking for dirt, he was just hungry." Instead of trying to put out those fires, though, Trump blindsided the Pentagon and alienated his allies with his "insane" late-night policy reversal, he said, explaining why this is "a big deal."
"Trump's surprise military move has now put the Kurds at risk, and without the Kurds, ISIS could make a comeback — and not in like a cool, small-part-in-a-Tarantino-movie kind of way," Noah said. "I do think there is one option" to get Trump to change his mind, though, he added: "Kurdish forces, you need to phone Trump and you need to tell him you have dirt on Joe Biden, but if he wants it, he's gonna have to give you military aid — or as I like to call it, a Kurd pro quo." Watch below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
When does a Roth 401(k) make more sense?
The Explainer There are several key differences between a Roth 401(k) and a 401(k) that may make one option more beneficial than the other
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
'The proudly backward were validated by self-loathing Western intellectuals'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
TV to watch in January, including 'Severance' and 'The Night Agent'
The Week Recommends Two hit series are back this month for much-anticipated second seasons
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published