Donald Trump has made his feelings about Stephen Colbert abundantly clear following the comedian's final episode of The Late Show. On Thursday night, Colbert, 62, signed off from CBS after more than a decade as host, with the show ending amid controversy over its cancellation.
Trump's AI Video Goes Viral
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) this weekend, Trump shared an AI-generated video showing him walking onto Colbert's set, picking him up, and throwing him into a bin. The clip, which has been viewed nearly 40 million times, features a superimposed Trump dancing to YMCA as the audience cheers. Supporters of the Republican leader found the video hilarious, but many critics branded it 'disgusting'.
One user, @TNOQuoProQuid, wrote: 'I like how we aren't even pretending anymore that Colbert's cancellation wasn't the result of intense political pressure.' Another, @CantEverDie, echoed: 'Pretty crazy how blatant the ending of the late show is just an act of government censorship lol.'
Controversy Over Cancellation
Colbert's final show featured a musical performance by Sir Paul McCartney and cameos from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, and Ryan Reynolds. However, the host notably did not reach out to President Trump. The cancellation of The Late Show after 33 years was officially described as 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,' with CBS stating the show was losing $40 million (£29.7 million) a year.
Yet the decision has been mired in controversy since it came as Paramount pursued a merger with Skydance Media, led by billionaire David Ellison, often described as a Trump ally. Colbert had been a vocal critic of Trump throughout his tenure, frequently mocking the president in his monologues. Days before the cancellation was announced last summer, Colbert had mocked Paramount for settling a $16 million (£11.9 million) lawsuit with Trump over the editing of a 2024 60 Minutes broadcast featuring Democrat Kamala Harris.
Colbert's Final Jabs
Colbert remained political until the very end, though his final show notably avoided politics entirely. Instead, he took a parting shot at CBS by having his live band play licensed music from the Peanuts cartoons, potentially exposing the network to a lawsuit. 'Oh no, I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money,' Colbert quipped.
In his closing monologue, Colbert also mocked the merger, saying: 'I'm thrilled for everyone at Paramount that the deal went through and very excited for our newly announced official combined Paramount-Skydance stock ticker name, which will go from "PARA" to "PSKY." Soon, PSKY will blast hot streaming content right in your face. With hits like Yellowstone, Yellowjackets, and a full variety of water sports. I predict PSKY will become synonymous with number one. PSKY, a pitcher of warm entertainment.'
Trump Targets Other Late-Night Hosts
Trump has also set his sights on other late-night shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC, Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central, and HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Sharing a message for the hosts he frequently clashes with, Trump said: 'May they all Rest in Peace!'
On Truth Social after Colbert's sign-off, Trump declared that other networks will 'soon follow' into cancellation, branding the outgoing host a 'total jerk' who 'performed like a dead person.' He wrote: 'Stephen Colbert's firing from CBS was the "Beginning of the End" for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts. Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace! President DONALD J. TRUMP.'
Colbert's Response
When asked about Trump's opinions, Colbert told People magazine that he doesn't care. 'The ending of the show aside, which people can speculate about all they want, and I can't argue with their speculations, but we're clowns… How much does it diminish the office of the presidency to even notice what we say?' he asked.
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