Stephen Colbert Does the Math on Ballooning Iran Bill — Complete With a Kristi Noem Dig

Stephen Colbert did the math on the ballooning cost of President Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran to the U.S. taxpayer, converting the total to the new currency of Kristi Noem “horsey commercials.”

Opening his show on Monday night, the host of The Late Show worked out the reported cost of the escalating conflict, which has already reached billions after just one week.

“We are learning more about the cost because, according to estimates, the first week of the war alone cost approximately $6 billion,” he said.

The audience loudly booed.

Yeah. It’s surprising,” he continued. “You know, did you know what you could buy with $6 billion?”

Pausing, he hit the punchline: “27 Kristi Noem horsey commercials!”

He added: “It’s unclear how long the war will continue because this weekend, Trump said the war will only stop after Iran’s unconditional surrender. To which Iran replied, ‘That’s a dream America should take to their grave.'”

Noem lost her position as Homeland Security Secretary last week following a difficult congressional hearing when lawmakers grilled her over a $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured her riding horseback.

Trump later said he did not sign off on the ad campaign and didn’t know about it.

Colbert then turned his attention back to Trump, arguing that the president had yet to clearly outline what the U.S. hopes to achieve in Iran or how long the confrontation could last. The comedian played a clip of Trump explaining his thinking about the country’s leadership.

“We don’t want to come back every five years or every 10 years and do this,” Trump said in an Air Force One press gaggle. “So, we want to pick a president that’s not gonna be leading their country into a war.”

Colbert paused before quipping: “When can we pick one of those?”

The jab prompted an eruption of applause and laughter from the crowd.

“They are way ahead of me. They were way ahead of me,” he joked of the audience. “We were all jumping for that joke at the same time.”

Watch above via CBS.

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