Stephen Colbert didn’t hold back after Donald Trump celebrated The Late Show’s upcoming cancellation.
On Monday night’s (July 21) episode, Colbert—comedian, actor, and long-time host of the top-rated late-night show—returned for the first time since CBS announced the program would end in 2026.
Wasting no time, he addressed the former president directly in his opening monologue, declaring, “The gloves are off” for the show’s final stretch over the next 10 months.
Trump had recently posted on Truth Social, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”
He also took aim at another late-night figure, writing that Jimmy Kimmel is “next” and “has even less talent than Colbert.”
Colbert clapped back on air, sarcastically asking, “How dare you, sir? Would a talentless man be able to craft this satirical gem?”
He then turned to the “Eloquence Cam” and bluntly added, “Go f*** yourself.”
He continued the bit by defending Kimmel, saying, “Nope. No, no. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I’m the martyr here. There’s only room for one of us on this cross—and the view’s great. I can see your house from here!”
CBS recently confirmed The Late Show would wrap up in 2026, citing financial reasons, such as falling ad revenue and rising production expenses.
However, others suspect political pressure may have influenced the decision.
Coincidentally, the cancellation comes as Paramount—the parent company of CBS—prepares for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, a company financially backed by Trump supporter Larry Ellison.
Sources told The Independent that the cancellation could be tied to what’s been described as a broader “Trump shakedown.”
One major trigger may have been a $16 million settlement Paramount paid related to its 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris—an interview Trump criticized as “election interference.”
Colbert mocked the settlement in a recent episode, joking that it was “a big fat bribe.”
He added it was a dream come true to have a sitting president rooting for his professional downfall.
“In fact, they say just two days before the cancellation, I gave a monologue bold enough to feature me with a mustache,” he quipped.
“Clearly, CBS saw my upper lip and decided to pull the plug. Coincidence? Not likely. This isn’t fascism—it’s stachism.”
A leaked report over the weekend suggested CBS claimed The Late Show lost between $40 and $50 million last year, according to The Guardian.
Colbert joked he could only account for $24 million of that, before snarking, “So where did the other $16 million go? Oh, right…”
Despite the looming end, Colbert declared that he would continue to speak truth to power for as long as he remains on the air, unafraid and uncensored.
Other late-night hosts also voiced their support. Jon Stewart, on The Daily Show, criticized Paramount for choosing to cancel such a successful and long-running program.
“CBS didn’t even try to save its No. 1 late-night franchise that’s been going strong for over 30 years,” Stewart said.
“That’s why people are wondering: was this really just financial, or was it the easiest way to smooth out that $8 billion merger?”
He added, “If networks think they can water themselves down so much that they’ll never get on Trump’s radar again, they’re de.ad wrong. Why would anyone tune in to that?”
Stewart closed with a fiery moment, rallying his audience into a chant of “Go f*** yourselves” directed at corporations he accused of caving to political influence.
