Stephen Colbert has torn into President Donald Trump over his negotiation skills after the government shutdown ended without him securing funding for his border wall.
The Late Show host mocked the president for appearing to cave to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and ending the five-week partial shutdown after failing to get the $5.7 billion he wanted to pay for the long promised wall across along the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Not everyone out there thinks that Donald Trump folded like an origami swan," Colbert said during his monologue. "For instance, Donald Trump."
Colbert then reads out one of Trump's tweets sent on January 26 with a less than flattering impersonation of the president, saying: "This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it's off to the races."
While using the same impersonation, Colbert adds: "And believe me folks, I know races… Many people call me a racist."
Colbert then refers to a recent interview from acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney in which he said Trump is "willing to do whatever it takes to secure the border," including shutting down the government again in three weeks.
"Yeah whatever it takes," Colbert said. "Pouting, threatening, holding his breath until he turns blue—which would be a more natural color."
Taking another shot at Trump's negotiation skills, Colbert cites a recent Wall Street Journal report which quotes Trump as saying he doubts that he would accept anything less than the $5.7 billion he had already demanded for his wall when the threat of another government shutdown arrives again in around three weeks.
"So, just to be clear," Colbert said. "He's making the exact same offer, backed by the exact same threat, but somehow he expects different results. Well, you know what they say, the definition of insanity is Donald Trump."
Colbert was making a reference to a quote commonly attributed to Albert Einstein, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
In another tweet sent the day after the shutdown ended, Trump said: "21 days goes very quickly. Negotiations with Democrats will start immediately. Will not be easy to make a deal, both parties very dug in. The case for National Security has been greatly enhanced by what has been happening at the Border & through dialogue. We will build the Wall!"
