President Trump celebrated the end of Stephen Colbert's decade-long run hosting "The Late Show" on Thursday evening, praising Paramount Skydance's decision to remove the comedian from CBS.
Trump wrote on Truth Social early Friday: "Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone!"
The show was canceled last year by Paramount Skydance, then known as Paramount Global, a media conglomerate now owned by Trump allies Larry and David Ellison following their merger with CBS parent company. The president has consistently called for Colbert and other late-night hosts to be fired for criticism of his administration.
What the Right Is Saying
Trump allies argued the cancellation was a private business decision that had nothing to do with political retaliation. White House officials pointed to Paramount Skydance's statement citing financial considerations in late-night programming as justification for the move.
"This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," the company said in its original announcement. "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
Conservative commentators praised Trump's assessment of Colbert's ratings and called the departure overdue. "The free market spoke," wrote one prominent conservative columnist. "CBS made a business decision based on declining viewership, which happens constantly in media without political overtones."
What the Left Is Saying
Critics alleged that political considerations may have influenced the cancellation decision, pointing to the Trump administration's oversight role in last year's Paramount-Skydance merger and a $16 million settlement between CBS and the president over a "60 Minutes" episode featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Democratic lawmakers and media reform advocates argued the timing raised questions about press freedom. "When the government can effectively punish broadcast criticism through merger approvals and settlements, we have crossed a line," said one advocacy group statement that circulated among progressive outlets.
Media analysts noted that Colbert's final monologue avoided direct criticism of Trump, with the comedian instead thanking supporters and staff. "We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years. You can't take this for granted," Colbert said in his closing remarks.
What the Numbers Show
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" premiered in September 2015 when Colbert took over for David Letterman. The show ran for approximately 11 years under Colbert's hosting.
Paramount Skydance completed its merger with CBS parent Paramount Global last year, consolidating ownership among Trump allies. The $16 million settlement between CBS and the president resolved a legal dispute over editing decisions in a "60 Minutes" interview segment featuring Harris.
Late-night viewership has declined industry-wide as audiences migrate to streaming platforms and social media clips. Several network late-night programs have faced ratings challenges in recent years regardless of political content.
The Bottom Line
The departure of Colbert marks the end of an era for CBS late-night programming and raises questions about media ownership concentration under the current administration. Whether the cancellation reflects legitimate financial considerations or represents retaliation against presidential critics remains disputed, with both sides pointing to their preferred evidence.
Colbert's final broadcast featured cameos from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds, and Tig Notaro, with Paul McCartney appearing as his last guest. The comedian ended the show by singing "Hello, Goodbye" with McCartney on stage.