Stephen Colbert's Audience Applauds James Comey Firing

Stephen Colbert opened his Tuesday night “Late Show” with the news that President Donald Trump had abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey.

The audience immediately started to clap and cheer at the news, leading Colbert to quip that there were “huge Donald Trump fans here tonight.”

Colbert’s guest on the show, Jon Stewart, later discussed the audience’s bizarre reaction to the Comey news.

When Colbert asked the audience why — “Is it because of what he did to Hillary?” — they cheered again.

“But you know he’s investigating Trump’s campaign ties to Russia, which now will evaporate like cotton candy in the ocean,” Colbert said.

Stewart compared the reactions to a wave.

“That was like a beginner’s surfer class where they were like, ‘I’m standing up! Oh, no, wait! Oh, no, now I’m on my knees! I hate that guy, I love that guy, but Trump did it!’ They didn’t know how to feel and it was interesting to watch.”

Earlier in the night, Colbert said in his monologue that Trump’s firing shows “no gratitude at all” to the director.

“I mean, did Trump forget about the Hillary emails that Comey talked about?” he said, in reference to Comey’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. Trump cited this as the reason for Comedy’s firing, and not that the director said that he was formally investigating the president’s ties to Russia.

“Thanks for the presidency, Jimmy. Now don’t let the door hit you where the Electoral College split you,” Colbert said, impersonating Trump.

Colbert read from Trump’s firing letter to Comey, in which the president said that he felt the director was “not able to effectively lead the Bureau” after the email debacle.

“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau,” Colbert read from the letter.

“Does everything have to be about him?” said Colbert said, imitating Trump again by saying, “While I greatly appreciate you telling me that I am an amazing lover, I am leaving you for a younger woman on the advice of the Department of Justice.”

Colbert hasn’t been a stranger on the making-fun-of-Trump train, and it looks like he’s in no place to get off of it. And, we gotta say, we’re not mad about it.

You can watch the whole monologue above.