CNN’s Jake Tapper has responded to Donald Trump’s recent complaint that the network was “desperately looking for a reason” to criticize the Iran war before asking why personalities don’t just say “JOB WELL DONE, MR. PRESIDENT.”

The news anchor told Stephen Colbert in an appearance on Monday’s episode of “The Late Show”: “First of all, let me say, I say it to you, ‘job well done.’”

He continued, “But, in terms of job well done, let’s just deconstruct it: it’s not done.”

To which Colbert replied, “It’s pretty much done.”

Tapper’s comments arrive after Trump used his Truth Social platform on Friday to suggest that CNN and The New York Times used the five-word message in their coverage to “gain back their credibility.

During his interview with Colbert, Tapper pointed to the president’s renewed threats toward Iran over the weekend before adding that he doesn’t have to look “very far” for things to question about the administration’s unpopular war.

Tapper went on to flag uncertainty about whether a second round of peace talks would go down in Pakistan this week before the two touched on conflicting initial reports over Vice President JD Vance’s inclusion in the U.S. team.

Following the taping of “The Late Show,” Axios reported that Vance was set to leave for the talks in Islamabad on Tuesday, per multiple U.S. sources.

Iranian officials were also given the OK by the supreme leader to head to the talks on Monday evening, according to a source.

As Tapper and Colbert discussed what could come from such talks, the CNN anchor referred to Trump’s announcement on Sunday that the U.S. attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.

“So I mean, it’s not done,” Tapper said. “That’s my whole point. Why did I not say, ‘job well done’? Not done.”

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