President Trump is celebrating the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” on CBS, aggressively calling for more late-night hosts to be axed.
Trump Cheerleading Colbert Cancellation, Calls for More Late-Night Host Firings
Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” is ending, prompting President Trump to celebrate and suggest other hosts should also be fired.
- President Trump celebrated the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS.
- Trump called for other late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, to be fired.
- The Writers Guild called for an investigation into Paramount Global’s decision, citing potential political pressure.
- Colbert himself was informed of the cancellation only the night before and stated he was not being replaced.
- Other late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon expressed shock and support for Colbert.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” Trump wrote Friday morning on Truth Social. “His talent was even less than his ratings.” Trump also targeted Jimmy Kimmel, stating, “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” He praised Greg Gutfeld, who hosts a late-night show and co-hosts “The Five” on Fox News, saying Gutfeld “is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show,” referring to Jimmy Fallon.
Did President Trump’s comments about Stephen Colbert’s cancellation influence CBS’s decision? While “Late Show” is a top-rated broadcast show, “Gutfeld!” has a larger audience. CBS stated the cancellation was “purely financial.” This comes after Colbert criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, for settling a $16 million lawsuit filed by Trump last year regarding a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert labeled the settlement a “big fat bribe” Monday night.
Colbert’s Show Ends in May After a Decade
Colbert, 61, has hosted “The Late Show” for ten years. He shared the news of its end Thursday night, revealing he was only made aware of the decision the previous evening. “The Late Show” will conclude in May, and Colbert noted, “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
Calls for Investigation Amidst Political Speculation
Paramount Global is currently awaiting federal approval for its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. Both branches of the Writers Guild have called on New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James to investigate Paramount. A statement released Friday by the union read, “Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also suggested the move was politically motivated. “CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery,” she wrote Thursday night on X. “America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) echoed these concerns, stating, “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.” Schiff was a guest on Colbert’s show Thursday night.
Trump had previously called for Colbert’s termination in September, writing on Truth Social that Colbert was a “complete and total loser” who was “not funny,” “not wise,” and “VERY BORING,” with a show “dying from a complete lack of viewers.” He suggested CBS should terminate Colbert’s contract and hire someone cheaper, even offering to recommend someone “much more talented, and smarter, who would do it for FREE!”
Late-Night Hosts React to the News
Fellow late-night hosts reacted to the cancellation. Jimmy Kimmel wrote on Instagram, “Love you Stephen. F— you and all your Sheldons CBS,” referencing network hits like “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon.” Jimmy Fallon posted, “I’m just as shocked as everyone. Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it.” He added, “I’m sad that my family and friends will need a new show to watch every night at 11:30. But honestly, he’s really been a gentleman and a true friend over the years.”
In a recent interview, Kimmel shared his worries about the Trump administration targeting comedians. “Well, you’d have to be naive not to worry a little bit,” he told the outlet. “And maybe it is naive, but I have the hope that if and when the day comes that he does start coming after comedians, that even my colleagues on the right will support my right to say what I like.”
