Trump says he 'absolutely loves' that CBS canceled Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
"I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings," Trump said in a July 18 Truth Social post, before also ripping ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, another late-night host known to skewer Trump. "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert."
Trump added that conservative Fox News personality and comedian Greg Gutfield ‒ host of Gutfeld! and co-host of The Five ‒ "is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show." Trump previously worked for NBC during his days as the star on "The Apprentice."
More: 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' to end next May: 'This is all just going away'
Colbert, 61, announced the cancellation of the iconic show, which comedian David Letterman hosted for two decades prior to Colbert, before its studio audience on July 17 at New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater. 'Late Show' will continue for one more season and end in May 2026.
"It's not just the end of our show, it's the end of the 'Late Show' on CBS," said Colbert, who has hosted the show since 2015, adding that, "I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away."
The move comes after Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, agreed on July 1 to a controversial $16 million settlement with Trump over a defamation lawsuit tied to a "60 Minutes" interview with 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Democrats and Colbert fans speculated whether politics could have played a role in the network's decision given the comedian's history of targeting Trump.
More: Jimmy Kimmel irate over Colbert cancellation, criticizes CBS ending 'Late Show'
"Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled," U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, said in a post on X. "If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.
More: From Joe Rogan to Greg Gutfeld, conservative comedy's influence grows
The traditional late-night shows on the three big networks have faced increasing challenges for viewers amid the rapid rise of streaming options.
Paramount in a statement called the move "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."
"We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire 'The Late Show' franchise at that time," the statement said. "We are proud that Stephen called CBS home."
Contributing: Bryan Alexander of USA TODAY
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump cheers CBS for canceling Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
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