Thousands of veterans from California’s National Guard were recently ordered by the Pentagon to pay back the re-enlistment bonuses they were paid prior to going to war a decade ago, so during last night’s Late Show, Stephen Colbert brought back his “Werd” segment to call out Pentagon leaders for trying to fix the debt in the worst way imaginable. Colbert notes that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has suspended collection of the bonuses for the time being but said they’re working on another plan that respects their “important obligation to the taxpayer.” “Oh good! Because what really upset taxpayers about Iraq was the part where we paid our soldiers what we promised,” Colbert says. “No WMDs? That’s an honest mistake. A private doesn’t fill out his paperwork? We will chase you to the gates of hell!”
Stephen Colbert Calls Out the Pentagon for Making Veterans Pay Back Their Enlistment Bonuses on ‘The Werd’
