In his Late Show opening monologue Wednesday night, host Stephen Colbert took on rumors that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called President Donald Trump a “moron,” and seemed to take Trump’s side.
“Hold on there, Rex. Hold on there, Tillerson. Nobody calls our president a moron except me,” Colbert said.
However, he quickly opened up the ability to call Trump a moron, adding, “And other world leaders. And, ultimately, history.”
Colbert also called the comment “vicious” and “accurate.” But even though Colbert asserted that Tillerson shouldn’t call Trump a moron, he continued to go after the President himself throughout the monologue and joked about his tweets regarding the incident.
NBC News reported that Tillerson called Trump a moron after his controversial speech at the Boy Scouts Jamboree. The Secretary of State denied the claim in press conference after the report.
The tongue-in-cheek defense of Trump was reminiscent of his saying that North Korea shouldn’t call the President a “dotard” because only he could.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Caitlin Clark Is TIME's 2024 Athlete of the Year
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com