Watch Colbert Audience Go Absolutely Nuts As They Get Trump News In Real Time

Stephen Colbert got to deliver some breaking news to his studio audience on Thursday:

“Literally three minutes before I walked out on this stage here, The New York Times reported a New York grand jury voted to indict former President Donald J. Trump.”

Colbert rarely speaks the former president’s name on his show. Trump’s name is often blurred out in on-screen graphics and headlines as well.

But not this time.

And on hearing the news, “The Late Show” audience stood and cheered for more than half a minute as Colbert celebrated on stage with a big bowl of ice cream.

“He was right,” Colbert said. “We’re finally saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again!”

Colbert noted that the indictment wasn’t just welcome news for Trump’s critics, but also potentially for Trump himself.

“He now gets to join his J6 Prison Choir,” Colbert said, referring to the group of Jan. 6 inmates who sing in a bizarre new recording featuring the former president.

See more in his Thursday night monologue: