President Donald Trump has gleefully reacted to the shock cancellation of Stephen Colbert‘s Late Night show.
Colbert has hosted the programme since 2015, when he took over from David Letterman. The Late Night franchise has been on air since 1993, but the CBS network announced Thursday (July 17) that it will be “retired” as of May next year.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social site (via The Hollywood Reporter). “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! [Fox News host] Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.”
Despite CBS’ assertion that the cancellation was motivated purely by “financial reasons”, some have speculated that the move may be politically motivated.
Colbert has been one of TV’s sternest critics of the US President, and previously criticised CBS’ parent company, Paramount, for settling a lawsuit with Trump for $16million (£12million) over his claims that CBS News deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris.
The host went as far as to call it a “big fat bribe” on Monday’s (July 15) edition of the show. Paramount is currently in the process of a merger with studio Skydance, a move that would need to be approved by The Trump Administration. This has already led to several politicians questioning the timing of the move.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren posted on X/Twitter: “CBS cancelled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16m settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was cancelled for political reasons”.
Rosie O’Donnell – who recently dismissed a threat from Trump to revoke her US citizenship – also weighed in with concern about the future of free speech following the news. “How long do all of the voices against this horrific administration have in terms of their careers and ability to make money?” she said in a new TikTok video.
“Because this madman, this mentally incapacitated, physically ill, mentally ill man is spiralling out of control. His dementia is out of control. His self-regulation – which he has none of to begin with – is missing. He’s horrible.”
Rosie O’Donnell on Colbert and Donald Trump: “How long do all of the voices against this horrific administration have in terms of their careers and ability to make money? Because this madman, this mentally incapacitated, physically ill, mentally ill man is spiraling out of… pic.twitter.com/yOr0nR7Cbw
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 18, 2025
In the company’s official statement, they said they considered Colbert “irreplaceable”, and both he and the broadcast would be “remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television”.
Regarding the reasons for the closure, the statement continued: “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount”.
Colbert himself confirmed the decision during the taping of Thursday’s (July 17) episode. “I want to let you know something I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May,” he said.
When the announcement drew boos from the audience, he replied: “I share your feelings. It’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away”.