Stephen Colbert curses out Donald Trump in savage response after The Late Show gets canceled
Stephen Colbert had a fiery response for President Donald Trump after Trump publicly celebrated the cancellation of The Late Show. Colbert, returning to the air on Monday night (July 21) for the first time since the news broke, didn’t hold back. With just ten months left before the show officially ends in 2026, he declared that “the gloves are off.”
Trump had mocked Colbert on Truth Social, writing: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,” and added that fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel would be “next,” calling him even less talented.
In response, Colbert delivered a blunt, three-word message while looking into what he jokingly called the “Eloquence Cam”:
“Go f* yourself.”**
He also defended Kimmel, joking that he alone would take the fall:
“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!”
CBS has claimed the cancellation is due to financial reasons — declining ad revenue and high production costs. But many aren’t buying that explanation. The timing of the decision has raised eyebrows, especially since Paramount, CBS’s parent company, is currently merging with Skydance, a studio backed by Trump-supporting billionaire Larry Ellison.
Some insiders told The Independent that the cancellation is connected to political pressure — what they described as a “Trump shakedown.” This theory is linked to a $16 million settlement CBS paid following Trump’s accusations that a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was “election interference.”
Colbert made light of the situation last week, joking that CBS canceled him over his bold decision to grow a moustache:
“This is worse than fascism. This is stachism.”
He also joked about CBS claiming the show lost $40–$50 million last year. Colbert quipped that he could explain $24 million of that, then sarcastically wondered where the remaining $16 million went: “Oh yeah,” referring to the lawsuit.
Despite the show’s upcoming end, Colbert promised he won’t be toning things down:
“They’re killing off the show. I’m still standing. So I will speak unvarnished truth to power.”
Jon Stewart also stood by Colbert, criticizing Paramount on The Daily Show for what he sees as caving to political pressure. He said it made no sense for CBS to drop the No. 1 late-night show after three decades unless something more was at play. Stewart warned that trying to be “flavorless” and stay off Trump’s radar would backfire:
“Why would anyone watch you? And you are f*ing wrong.”**
He then led the audience in chanting, “Go f*** yourselves,” aimed at corporations trying to stay in Trump’s good graces.
It’s clear that for Colbert and his supporters, this isn’t just about a show ending — it’s about fighting back against political influence in media and refusing to stay silent in the face of pressure.
