Late-night hosts looked into the murky goals, economic impact and disrespect for military protocol of Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

Stephen Colbert

“We’re on day 10 of the Iran war,” said Stephen Colbert on Monday evening, “and we’re still no closer to learning what the goal is. Is it regime change? Is it ending a nuclear program? Is it changing the name to Donald Trump’s Iran-a-Lago?”

“But we are learning more about the cost,” he noted, as the first week of the war alone is estimated to have cost about $6bn. “Do you know what you could buy with $6bn? Twenty-seven Kristi Noem horsey commercials!” he joked before clips of the very expensive, controversial ad campaign that likely ended Noem’s tenure as secretary of homeland security.

Despite the exorbitant cost, Trump said over the weekend that this new surprise war would stop only after Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, to which Iran replied: “That’s a dream that they should take to their grave.”

“OK, that’s spooky, and metal as hell,” said Colbert.

Trump explained on Air Force One: “We don’t want to come back every five years or 10 years and do this … We want to pick a president that’s not going to be leading their country into a war.”

“When can we pick one of those?” Colbert quipped.

Still, Trump told CBS News: “I think the war is very complete … pretty much.”

“Yes, very complete, pretty much,” Colbert mused. “Just like that famous banner: Mission accomplished … in a manner of speaking.”