More and more Republicans are announcing they won’t be running for reelection in 2026, and Stephen Colbert thinks it’s a good call. According to the CBS host, it’s best to get off the “sinking ship” of the Trump administration, before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth orders “a second strike on it.”
During his monologue on Tuesday night, Colbert highlighted six Republicans in Texas that have announced they won’t be running for reelection in the midterms, including Troy Nehls. The host marveled at how many are stepping down just from one state, before noting it was actually probably a good call.
“They’re fleeing the GOP sinking ship, which is smart, because Hegseth is about to order a second strike on it,” Colbert joked.
The late night host’s punchline was of course referring to a recent strike by the U.S. on a boat, that Hegseth and his team allege was a drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, this week. The boat was destroyed, but a second strike was ordered to kill two survivors.
Hegseth has since claimed that he did not order the strike himself, but stands by the military official who did, because “we always have the back of our commanders.”
“We always have their backs, because that’s where the good stabbing meat is,” Colbert joked.
The “Late Show” host also had a good laugh at Representative Tim Burchett, who worried about the mass Republican exodus this week by saying “we are one flu season away from losing the majority,” in the House.
“Congressman, our health secretary is RFK Jr. We are one flu season away from losing the species,” Colbert countered.
You can watch Stephen Colbert’s full monologue in the video above.
