During the opening of Monday’s episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the host delivered a pointed message to President Trump following the latter’s celebration of CBS’s unexpected decision to cancel the show. Last Friday, Trump took to Truth Social to express his pleasure, stating, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”
With mock outrage, Colbert retorted, “How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?” He then turned to an onscreen frame labeled “Eloquence Cam” and, adopting a clipped New York accent, said, “Go fuck yourself,” to which the audience erupted in applause, chanting his name.
Colbert commented on another part of Trump’s post, where he suggested that “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next” on the chopping block. Colbert promptly dismissed the notion, exclaiming, “Nope, no, no. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I am the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross. And the view is fantastic from up here. I can see your house!”
Opening the show, Colbert joked about cancel culture, asserting, “Cancel culture has gone too far,” and remarked that CBS executives had made one critical mistake: “They left me alive.” He stated, “For the next 10 months, the gloves are off,” following this with a mild critique of Trump: “I don’t care for him.”
While addressing the cancellation, Colbert acknowledged CBS’s longstanding partnership but raised the question, “How could it be a purely financial decision if ‘The Late Show’ is No. 1 in the ratings?”
Ahead of the episode’s airing, Colbert’s team shared a preview on Instagram with the caption, “Sticks and stones may break our bones but presidential turds can never hurt us.”
Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan, a crowd of approximately 100 protestors gathered, shouting, “Trump must go, Colbert must stay,” as hundreds more waited to enter the show.
Colbert informed his audience about the cancellation during a taping on July 17, revealing that he learned of the decision the night before. He expressed gratitude towards fans, his staff, and CBS executives, while expressing sorrow over the end of late-night programming on the network: “It is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it.”
The upcoming season marks the 11th and final season for Colbert, set to conclude in May 2026. This decision comes just weeks after CBS’s parent, Paramount Global, agreed to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit regarding a purportedly edited “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert previously referred to this settlement as a “big, fat bribe,” suggesting that CBS sought the Trump administration’s approval for a merger with Skydance Media.
Also Read – Walt Disney Revived as Advanced Animatronic for Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary
Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, raised concerns about the motivations behind Colbert’s show’s cancellation, questioning whether it was politically motivated. Warren described the settlement as a form of bribery and demanded clarity on whether Colbert’s show was another casualty of this arrangement.
On Monday, Senators Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden sent a letter to Skydance CEO David Ellison, probing whether any undisclosed agreements with Trump existed beyond the Paramount settlement. Trump’s claims assert the settlement’s total value could be $35 million when factoring in advertising. They also inquired about potential involvement by Skydance executives in discussions regarding the cancellation of Colbert’s show, to which CBS affirmed Skydance had no role in the decision. Skydance has yet to comment.
In the emotional July 17 announcement, Colbert told his audience, “Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending ‘The Late Show’ in May.” He expressed shared disappointment with the crowd, thanking CBS for its partnership and conveying his appreciation for his audience and hardworking team. “I’ve had the pleasure and the responsibility of sharing what we do every day with you in front of this camera for the last 10 years, and I’ve had fun doing it. It’s going to be fun,” he concluded, as he prepares for the final stretch of his run.
