Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show has become the latest battleground in the ongoing feud between Donald Trump and late-night comedians. Following CBS's announcement that it would end the long-running show in May 2026, Colbert used one of his final episodes to take direct aim at Trump—with no filters.
In a show of unity, prominent late-night hosts and media personalities including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, Anderson Cooper, and John Oliver joined Colbert on the episode. While most didn’t speak, their presence sent a clear message: the comedy community is standing together, especially when under political fire.
Colbert, never shy in his criticism of Trump, opened with an explicit message, saying, “Go f**k yourself,” and suggesting that “cancel culture has gone too far.” He implied the cancellation wasn’t just about business, despite Paramount’s insistence that it was a “purely financial decision.”
Trump, unsurprisingly, celebrated the show’s end, writing on Truth Social: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.” However, skepticism around Paramount’s motives persists. The timing of the cancellation—amid a pending $8 billion merger deal with Skydance, linked to pro-Trump billionaire Larry Ellison—has fueled speculation of political pressure.
Adding fuel to the fire was Paramount’s recent $16 million settlement with Trump over a dispute regarding an edited interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert dubbed the settlement a “big fat bribe” and joked about it on air, questioning how the number-one-rated show could be axed for financial reasons alone.
The highlight of the episode was a parody of the now-viral Coldplay concert kiss-cam scandal. A cartoon Trump was shown locking lips with the Paramount logo, mimicking the real-life drama involving former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron. The scene was a clear jab at both the scandal and Trump’s alleged coziness with the media company.
Meanwhile, Trump isn’t done. He’s now targeting other hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, calling them “untalented late-night sweepstakes” and hinting that they, too, might be ousted next. “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert,” Trump claimed.
In short, late-night television has turned into a frontline for political satire and resistance, with Colbert’s farewell setting the tone for a combative farewell to censorship—and to Trump.
