President Trump just dropped a bombshell on Truth Social, reveling in the cancellation of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” with the glee of a kid on Christmas morning.
According to The Hill, in a swift turn of events, CBS pulled the plug on Colbert’s long-running program on Thursday, a move that has sparked debate over whether it’s just about dollars or something deeper, especially with Trump’s vocal delight and Colbert’s sharp jabs at Paramount Global’s recent dealings with the president.
Let’s rewind to Monday, when Colbert, during his monologue, took a swing at Paramount Global for shelling out a hefty $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump over a “60 Minutes” segment.
“Big fat bribe,” Colbert quipped, casting doubt on the settlement’s integrity. Well, that’s one way to poke the bear, and it seems the bear roared back louder than expected.
By Wednesday, Colbert got the bad news, and on Thursday, CBS made it official, announcing the end of “The Late Show,” a program hosted by Colbert since 2015 when he succeeded David Letterman.
CBS insists this was “purely a financial decision,” unrelated to the show’s content or Paramount’s broader issues. Admiration for Colbert’s talents? Sure, but not enough to keep the lights on.
Interestingly, “The Late Show” isn’t exactly scraping by, pulling in nearly 2.5 million viewers nightly in the 11:35 p.m. slot, making it the most-watched late-night talk show in that hour. Compare that to Fox News’s “Gutfeld!” with Greg Gutfeld, which airs earlier and averages 3.3 million—numbers Trump couldn’t help but tout.
On Friday morning, Trump took to Truth Social, crowing, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired.” He didn’t stop there, taking aim at ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel and NBC’s Jimmy Fallon while hoisting Gutfeld as the gold standard of late-night wit.
Trump’s no stranger to Gutfeld, maintaining a chummy rapport with the Fox host for years, which might explain the glowing endorsement. Meanwhile, his disdain for Colbert isn’t new—last year, he even called for the host’s ouster in a similar online post.
Colbert, for his part, hasn’t shied away from criticism of Trump, often hosting prominent Democrats like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff, who were quick to question the cancellation’s timing. Schiff, a guest on Thursday’s episode when the news broke, joined Warren in demanding clarity on whether politics played a role.
“America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons,” Warren posted on X. That’s a fair ask, considering Paramount is currently seeking approval from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission for a merger with Skydance—a deal that raises eyebrows given the recent settlement.
Colbert addressed the cancellation on Thursday’s show, somberly noting, “It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS.” He made it clear no replacement is coming—this isn’t a reboot; it’s a full stop.
From a conservative lens, it’s hard not to see why Trump and his supporters might cheer this outcome—Colbert’s platform has long been a megaphone for progressive talking points, often skewering policies and figures dear to the right. Yet, if CBS’s claim of a financial motive holds water, it’s a reminder that even the biggest names aren’t immune to the bottom line.
Still, the timing stinks worse than a forgotten lunch in the office fridge, coming on the heels of Colbert’s mockery of the Paramount-Trump settlement. Democrats like Schiff are right to push for transparency—if this is political retribution dressed up as a budget cut, the public ought to know. Let’s hope the truth comes out, because in a world weary of woke overreach, fairness should still matter.
