Stephen Colbert didn’t just celebrate the Supreme Court knocking down Donald Trump’s tariffs — he detonated on the three justices who tried to save them.
On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Monday night, Colbert cheered the 6–3 ruling that found Trump lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to unilaterally slap tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners.
“That’s what I’m f—-ing talking about!” Colbert shouted.
He called the decision a “victory for America,” joking that the justices had achieved the unthinkable: “Justices, you’ve done something truly historic. You’ve made people go ‘woohoo!’ about tariffs.”
But the applause didn’t extend to the dissenters. Colbert zeroed in on Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh, who argued the tariffs should have been upheld.
“It was a 6-3 ruling along partisan—not partisan, really, d—–bag—lines, with a dissent from Alito, Thomas, and Kavanaugh,” Colbert said. “Or as they’re known by their morning DJ names, Flag Man, Mr. RV, and the Boof Crew.”
The nicknames weren’t random.
Alito has faced backlash for flying an upside-down American flag outside his home around the time of Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration and later displaying an “Appeal to Heaven” flag at his vacation property — symbols linked to efforts challenging the 2020 election. He denied knowing about those associations and blamed the incidents on his wife, while refusing to recuse himself from related cases.
Thomas has drawn scrutiny for accepting luxury trips funded by Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, including travel on a private jet and superyacht. He also received a $267,230 loan from healthcare executive Anthony Welters to purchase a high-end RV. The loan was later forgiven in what a congressional expert described as a “sweetheart deal,” potentially amounting to “significant taxable income.”
And Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings in 2018 famously veered into extended discussions about his love of beer. He denied ever blacking out, but former Yale classmates told The Washington Post they had seen him “stumbling drunk to the point that it would be impossible for him to state with any degree of certainty that he remembered everything that he did when drunk.”
Colbert also mocked Trump’s reaction to the ruling ahead of the president’s State of the Union address, which all nine justices are scheduled to attend. When asked if the justices were still invited after striking down his tariffs, Trump said: “They are invited. Barely,” adding, “Honestly, I couldn’t care less if they come.”
“How do you ‘barely’ invite someone?” Colbert shot back. “Ted and Leanne Naughton barely request your presence at the wedding of their daughter. Honestly, they couldn’t care less if you come. Please select chicken, fish, or go f— yourself.”
Watch Colbert’s monologue below:
