Donald Trump Criticizes Stephen Colbert and Calls for Broadcast License Reviews Ahead of the Holidays
Late-Night Shows Take a Backseat as Trump Critiques Hosts Ahead of Holidays
As the broadcast late-night shows pause for the holiday season, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday night to express his grievances about the hosts, adding a contentious flair to his festive wishes.
Stephen Colbert, the host of CBS’ The Late Show, emerged as the central target of Trump’s commentary. His show has been canceled and is set to conclude at the end of the season.
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success,” Trump wrote. “Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!”
Trump’s wording has drawn scrutiny, particularly his phrase "put him to sleep," which could imply several meanings—from helping someone retire to references of euthanasia. This choice of words follows his “dead man walking” remark.
The President quickly expanded his critique to other late-night hosts as well. He questioned, “Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC??? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!”
Colbert, alongside ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel and NBC’s Seth Meyers, has faced frequent ire from Trump, who has previously suggested their dismissal and questioned the broadcast licenses of networks that criticize him.
“If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!” he stated.
WhileTrump has consistently expressed similar frustrations over the past year, it’s uncertain whether his latest remarks were influenced by a recent study from the Media Research Center. This conservative watchdog group, partially funded by Republican donor Robert Mercer, reported that 92% of jokes on six nightly late-night shows targeted conservatives—an increase from 82% in the previous year.
Trump concluded his late-night tirade with a sudden shift, posting “Merry Christmas!!!” immediately after his pointed criticisms.
