Colbert, Warren Strategize On How To Handcuff Trump On Iran

Alex Christy
April 24th, 2026 9:34 AM

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CBS’s Stephen Colbert welcomed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Thursday’s taping of The Late Show to strategize how they can force President Trump to end the war with Iran. Of course, neither of them thought through the potential consequences that might have, which was ironic considering all the energy they spent criticizing Trump for not having a well-thought-out plan.

Colbert began by opining, “Listen, it's no secret that Trump ran for president, one of his promises was no foreign wars. Certainly no regime change wars, and here we are in one that doesn't seem to have an exit strategy and not much of an entrance strategy either.”

 

 

He then recalled Warren’s 2025 appearance and wondered if Iran is making it difficult for Republicans to show their faces in public, “Last year, when you were here, you said that your GOP colleagues in the hallways of the Senate, quote, "Don't make eye contact anymore" because they know he's wrong. What’s—how’s the eye contact these days?”

Warren gleefully replied, “Oh, man, those guys. Their eyes are just glued to the floor all the time.”

She also claimed, “They truly do understand the president and his team cannot explain why we went to war, what the strategy is in this war, what will constitute winning this war, how to get out of this war, and the number one thing they cannot explain is how this war is helping one single person in the United States of America. It is time for those Republicans to help the Democrats and put an end to this war right now.”

Colbert followed by wondering, “How can Congress do anything? How can the Republicans help the Democrats in the Senate or the House do anything right now? Because the president doesn't seem to be asking for any approval. What could you do?”

 

 

Warren responded by declaring, “It doesn't matter. We actually already have laws in place called War Powers Act, where Congress can simply say, 'You have to put a stop to this until Congress has a chance to come in and vote.' Congress, according to the constitution, is the only one that can declare war.”

A confused Colbert pressed for more, “But what can you do? I mean, hasn't he already broken that rule?”

Warren then urged Congress to revoke funding, “Congress does have the power to say ‘Stop.’ We have now, the Democrats, have now put on the table. There's a law that—I think of it kind of like in case you have a president who has violated the Constitution, it's like the emergency brake in a car that has lost its brakes, otherwise. And that's what we have voted on to get the Republicans to come in and say, ‘Cut it off.’ Cut off funding. Tell them to shut the whole thing down. The Republicans have voted against that. That is, they voted to continue the war one, two, three, four, five times, so far. And we’re going to stay after it. We are going to keep putting this deal forward and making them vote on it until finally somebody on that side grows a spine and does it.”

While Colbert and Warren may think that starving the military of funds is standing up to Trump, in the real world, all it would do is empower Iran and put American servicemembers at increased risk.

Here is a transcript for the April 23-taped show:

CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

4/24/2026

12:04 AM ET

STEPHEN COLBERT: Listen, it's no secret that Trump ran for president, one of his promises was no foreign wars.

ELIZABETH WARREN: Yeah. Yeah.

COLBERT: Certainly no regime change wars, and here we are in one that doesn't seem to have an exit strategy—

WARREN: Right.

COLBERT: —and not much of an entrance strategy either.

WARREN: Right. Right.

COLBERT: Last year, when you were here, you said that your GOP colleagues in the hallways of the Senate, quote, "Don't make eye contact anymore" because they know he's wrong. What’s—how’s the eye contact these days?

WARREN: Oh, man, those guys. Their eyes are just glued to the floor all the time.

COLBERT: Yes.

WARREN: Because they truly do understand the president and his team cannot explain why we went to war, what the strategy is in this war, what will constitute winning this war, how to get out of this war, and the number one thing they cannot explain is how this war is helping one single person in the United States of America. It is time for those Republicans to help the Democrats and put an end to this war right now.

COLBERT: So, what—okay.

WARREN: It's true. Yup.

COLBERT: At the very least, the troops who actually go prosecute this war on the behalf of the commander-in-chief deserve the rationale—

WARREN: Yes.

COLBERT: —They understand why they're doing what they're doing. How can Congress do anything? How can the Republicans help the Democrats in the Senate or the House do anything right now? Because the president doesn't seem to be asking for any approval. What could you do?

WARREN: It doesn't matter. We actually already have laws in place called War Powers Act, where Congress can simply say, "You have to put a stop to this until Congress has a chance to come in and vote." Congress, according to the constitution, is the only one that can declare war.

COLBERT: But what can you do? I mean, hasn't he already broken that rule?

WARREN: Well, yes. There is that.

COLBERT: Yeah.

WARREN: But Congress does have the power to say “Stop.” We have now, the Democrats, have now put on the table. There's a law that—I think of it kind of like in case you have a president who has violated the Constitution, it's like the emergency brake in a car that has lost its brakes, otherwise. And that's what we have voted on to get the Republicans to come in and say, “Cut it off.” Cut off funding. Tell them to shut the whole thing down. The Republicans have voted against that. That is, they voted to continue the war one, two, three, four, five times, so far.

COLBERT: Okay.

WARREN: And we’re going to stay after it. We are going to keep putting this deal forward and making them vote on it until finally somebody on that side grows a spine and does it.

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