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Stephen Colbert branded himself a ‘martyr’ while delivering a blunt message to Donald Trump, stating ‘the gloves are off’ after Trump celebrated the cancellation of The Late Show.
The entertainer’s ten-year tenure as the host of CBS’s flagship late-night program is set to conclude in May, with sources from the network hinting the popular show was ended due to financial losses estimated between $40 and $100 million annually.
This announcement came shortly after Colbert criticized CBS’ parent company, Paramount, for a $16 million settlement with Trump regarding allegedly misleading editing of a 60 Minutes interview featuring Kamala Harris, describing it as a ‘big fat bribe.’
Trump posted a celebration on Truth Social Friday, saying ‘I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.’
Colbert, who briefly addressed the move Friday, devoted much of his Monday show to the controversy, eventually uniting with almost every other liberal late-night talk show host in a show of support, as well as Adam Sandler and even Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The 61-year-old comic opened after a standing ovation and a lengthy applause from the New York City crowd by saying ‘cancel culture has gone too far’ and then joked now that the show is ending, he can say whatever he feels.
Colbert said sarcastically of Paramount: ‘They made one mistake, they left me alive! For the next ten months, the gloves are off!’
The Late Show host then referenced Trump’s comments, turning to an ‘Eloquence Cam’ and said: ‘How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f*** yourself.’
Stephen Colbert jokingly referred to himself as a ‘martyr’ before delivering a crude, star-studded response to his cancellation and Donald Trump taking glee in his talk show’s end
The comic turned to an ‘Eloquence Cam’ and said ‘Go f*** yourself’ to Trump in response to the president’s glee in his cancellation
He then referenced Trump stating in the same Truth Social post: ‘I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.’
Colbert replied: ‘Nope, no, no. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I am the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross. And the view is fantastic from up here. I can see your house!’
He also said that cancellation meant he could finally admit what he felt about the president.
In contrast to his often over-the-top anti-Trump monologues, he dryly, quietly said: ‘I don’t care for him. Doesn’t seem to have the skill set to be president. Just not a good fit, that’s all.’
He addressed his bosses at CBS – who he said ‘have always been great partners’ – before talking about Paramount’s decision to cancel the show which he took over from David Letterman in 2015.
‘How could it be a purely financial decision if The Late Show’s is number one in ratings? A lot of folks are asking that question, mainly my staff’s parents and spouses.’
Colbert’s axing came just days after he sniped at CBS bosses for settling with Trump in a lawsuit over deceptive editing at 60 Minutes, branding the deal a ‘big fat bribe.’
He referenced a story from The New York Post saying the show lost $40-$50million last year, though some have suggested its as high as $100million.
He addressed his bosses at CBS – who he said ‘have always been great partners’ – before talking about Paramount’s decision to cancel the show which he took over from David Letterman in 2015
‘I could see us losing $24 million but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million, oh…’ he quipped, naming the amount the company settled with Trump for over his 60 Minutes lawsuit.
He went back to bashing Trump and the recent news accusing him of writing a ‘bawdy’ letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday.
‘I’ll have more to say about all this after the commercial break. The only other story is a small one… the president is buddies with a pedophile.’
In the show’s second segment, Colbert pulled out every name from his celebrity address book.
He brought out Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and long-time parody songwriter ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic.
The show then parodied the recent Coldplay kiss cam scandal as the pair performed a take on the band’s hit ‘Viva la Vida’ with Yankovic’s trademark accordion in tow.
He then cut to various famous people in pairs on the ‘kiss cam,’ including CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Bravo stalwart Andy Cohen, who pretended to make out.
Adam Sandler and Happy Gilmore co-star Christopher McDonald, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers and John Oliver and Jon Stewart also appeared.
In the show’s second segment, Colbert pulled out every name from his celebrity address book. He brought out Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and long-time parody songwriter ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
He then cut to various famous people in pairs on the ‘kiss cam,’ including CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Bravo stalwart Andy Cohen, who pretended to make out. Adam Sandler and Happy Gilmore co-star Christopher McDonald, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers and John Oliver and Jon Stewart also appeared
Even that segment wasn’t Trump-free, as the president was seen in cartoon form on the kiss cam.
Puck journalist Matthew Belloni revealed Colbert’s ‘lack of profitability‘ Friday, hours after CNN first broke the news that the show was canceled because it was in the red.
Belloni outlined how The Late Show – whose cancelation was announced Thursday – costs $100m a year to produce, with Colbert, 61, getting paid between $15 million and $20 million a year to host.
Colbert beats ABC and NBC rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon in the ratings, but that still wasn’t enough to save him.
Late night shows have slumped in profitability in recent years as viewers shun the format in favor of streaming services or watching content on their phones.
Advertiser revenue has slumped sharply even in the last three years, Puck reported, making it harder to pull Colbert’s show out of the red.
Colbert was reported to be ‘not angry, actually’ about his cancelation and was chatting with his staff in a ‘matter-of-fact’ way before Thursday’s show, Puck reported.
Colbert, who will broadcast his final show in May 2026, was first informed his show was on the chopping block around July 4, it is claimed. Paramount Co-CEO George Cheeks made the decision, Puck reported.
Then candidate Donald Trump (left) appears on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert (right) in September 2015, when Trump was first running for president and the first year Colbert hosted the show
He the went on vacation, giving bosses at CBS time to plot behind his back, CNN reported.
Colbert had news of his cancelation confirmed Thursday.
He moved to share it as quickly as possible so that his staff would not learn of their impending unemployment via leaks to the press.
All three major late night hosts – Colbert, Kimmel and Fallon – have become notorious for their regular rants about President Trump, which many viewers have complained are boring and off-putting.
But Belloni said he didn’t believe the famously anti-MAGA Colbert was axed to appease Donald Trump, who recently won a $15 million payout from CBS after suing them over a 60 Minutes interview with Harris he said was deceptively edited.
The axing of Colbert has delighted Trump, who posted about it on his TruthSocial network earlier today.
Colbert’s ouster could also make it easier for CBS parent company Paramount’s efforts to merge with media company Skydance in a deal that must be approved by Trump’s Federal Communications Commission.
The Late Show launched in 1993 under David Letterman to compete with longtime late night juggernaut The Tonight Show.
CBS execs weighed the pros and cons of canceling the increasingly unprofitable show during its hosts usual summer vacation this month, sources told CNN Friday. They said the move was financially driven even while speaking anonymously, as did insiders who spoke to Puck
Colbert took over from Letterman in 2015 after his retirement.
More than three decades later, CBS’s entry into the late night sphere sits at the top, with second-best Jimmy Kimmel Live! raking in an average of 1.772 million viewers.
Colbert, by comparison, collects an average of 2.417 million.
Colbert – who once played a conservative character on Comedy Central’s satirical late night program The Colbert Report – often aired jokes at the conservative’s expense.
Trump celebrated the news of the show’s cancellation as a result.
‘I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,’ he wrote in a Friday Truth Social post.
‘I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert,’ he added, before talking up right-wing Fox News star Greg Gutfeld.
‘[He’s] better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show,’ Trump added, referring to Jimmy Fallon.
Trump previously worked for NBC during his days on ‘The Apprentice.’
