Stephen Colbert is set to end his more than decade-long run as host of "The Late Show" on Thursday, marking the latest contraction in a late-night television landscape that has become increasingly political during President Trump's second term. CBS cancelled the franchise first launched in 1993 under David Letterman, and other late-night hosts are now openly wondering if they could soon face similar fates.

CBS said its decision to cancel "The Late Show" was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late-night" and unrelated to the show's performance or content. The move came amid Paramount Global's multibillion-dollar merger effort with Skydance, which was ultimately approved by Trump's Federal Communications Commission, forming Paramount Skydance.

What the Right Is Saying

Conservative voices have celebrated Colbert's departure as overdue, arguing that late-night comedy had drifted too far into partisan territory rather than serving as universal entertainment. Trump himself weighed in on social media: "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired," he wrote.

Farnsworth noted that while Colbert's political humor helped his ratings, "it hasn't helped him with the new conservative ownership of CBS." David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance, and his father Larry Ellison are seen as allies of the president. Trump has also repeatedly criticized other late-night hosts, slamming Seth Meyers as "deranged" and "untalented," while calling Jimmy Kimmel "in no way funny."

Conservatives have argued that late-night shows should return to broader entertainment appeal rather than serving as vehicles for political commentary. Farnsworth noted: "These shows are not designed to be fair, they're designed to draw an audience... Politics itself has become much more intensely critical and partisan over the last 30 years."

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive commentators and media analysts say Colbert's cancellation represents a loss for political satire and accountability journalism in an era when such scrutiny of power is increasingly rare on mainstream broadcast networks. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington who co-authored "Late-Night in Washington: Political Humor and the American Presidency," said Colbert was part of a generation of comedians "who have become much more aggressive and critical in their mockery of politics."

"We've been on a steady trajectory since the more evenhanded days of Johnny Carson towards a much more aggressive and more partisan vision of late-night humor," Farnsworth said. Farah Latif, an adjunct professor at George Washington University's department of organizational sciences and communication, noted that Colbert will be known as one who "made politics a priority" on late-night television.

Comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff, author of "The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy," drew comparisons to historic moments in late-night history. "I think of Johnny Carson's final week. I think of Jay Leno's first week. I think of David Letterman, his last NBC week and his first CBS week," Nesteroff said. "This sort of feels like it belongs with those."

What the Numbers Show

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" was consistently a network TV ratings winner during its run. CBS announced the cancellation approximately 10 months before Colbert's final broadcast. The Paramount-Skydance merger, valued at multibillions of dollars, required approval from Trump's FCC before being finalized.

Late-night viewership has shifted significantly toward digital platforms. "It's even weird to call it 'late-night TV.' Most of us are watching it on YouTube, in clips in the morning, during the day," Nesteroff said. Jimmy Kimmel told Colbert that more viewers tune into late-night programming today than during Johnny Carson's heyday, noting: "We have like 30,000 [viewers] watching each one. And it adds up."

Colbert first gained prominence as a correspondent on "The Daily Show" in the late 1990s and early 2000s before launching "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central in 2005, where he assumed the persona of a bombastic conservative cable host.

The Bottom Line

The end of "The Late Show" marks a significant moment for political comedy on broadcast television, but experts say it likely signals an evolution rather than the death of late-night satire. Political humor is expected to continue across different platforms as long as there are figures in power to parody.

"Political humor is an American fair. It is as American as an apple pie," Latif said. "It will always remain quite relevant and important in American politics." Farnsworth added: "People really like bringing people in authority down a peg or two. It's part of the American DNA. Late-night comedy is the current version of that very human need. It may mutate into a different format, but we're going to always want to make fun of people in power."