Donald Trump Critiques Stephen Colbert, Suggests CBS Should End His Show

Stephen Colbert; Donald Trump.
Credit :

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty; Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• In a post on his Truth Social platform around midnight on December 24, President Donald Trump criticized Stephen Colbert and his late-night program.
• Trump suggested that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which is set to end in 2026, should be discontinued immediately by CBS.
• He remarked that Colbert is “a dead man walking” and lacks talent.

In a recent message, President Donald Trump took aim at late-night host Stephen Colbert. The post, shared on Truth Social shortly after midnight on December 24, follows CBS’s decision to air a rerun of Colbert’s show, which aired on December 8, immediately after Trump hosted The Kennedy Center Honors.

“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success,” Trump declared in his post. “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!”

Donald Trump on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ on Tuesday, September 22, 2015.

Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS via Getty.

Shortly afterward, Trump shared another post questioning which network has the worst late-night host: “CBS, ABC, or NBC??? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!”

He further asserted, “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!”

Trump has consistently criticized Colbert since the host announced in July that The Late Show would conclude in May 2026 after a decade on the air. Trump labeled the decision a “big fat bribe.”

This announcement coincided with Colbert’s critique of Paramount, CBS’s parent company, for a $16 million settlement with Trump following accusations of misleading edits in a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, the Vice President.

As Paramount pursued a merger with Skydance, a transaction requiring Trump’s administration’s approval, this settlement was reached shortly before the merger completion on August 7, just weeks after Colbert’s show was canceled.

Stephen Colbert on January 3, 2018.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty.

In response to the ongoing saga, CBS issued a statement asserting that the cancellation of The Late Show was a “purely financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and not reflective of the show’s performance, content, or any issues related to Paramount.

Previously, Trump expressed satisfaction over Colbert’s exit, suggesting a broader trend that could impact other late-night hosts such as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, whom he described as lacking talent.