Latest news with #fired
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trump trolls Colbert after CBS firing and predicts which 'moron' late-night host is next on the chopping block
President Donald Trump trolled Late Show host Stephen Colbert after CBS pulled the plug on the long-running show. 'I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired,' Trump posted to Truth Social Friday morning. 'His talent was even less than his ratings.' 'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next,' the president continued. 'Has even less talent than Colbert!' 'Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show,' Trump added. The 'moron' in question Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon. Among the late night shows, Colbert had the highest ratings. He took over the franchise in 2015, which had originally been helmed by David Letterman. Colbert was already a household name for his Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report, in which he pretended to be a conservative talking head, modeled after pundits like Bill O'Reilly from Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor. He and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who was on right before Colbert's timeslot, captured the attention of liberal audiences. When Colbert took over the Late Show, he dropped his conservative caricature act, allowing his left-leaning politics to show openly. Three days before Colbert and the Late Show were axed, the comedian was publicly critical of Paramount's decision to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview that featured the president's ex-rival, former Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount said the money would pay for the president's legal fees and that any leftover money would go toward Trump's future presidential library fund. Paramount Global, which owns CBS, is in the middle of merging with Skydance Media, founded by David Ellison, the son of Oracle's Larry Ellison. Larry Ellison has been a Trump supporter for years. The deal needs the approval of the federal government. 'As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I'm offended,' Colbert said. 'And I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company.' 'But just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help,' Colbert joked. He then referred to the settlement as a 'big fat bribe.' In a statement, CBS said the decision to end the Late Show with Colbert was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.' Democrats are skeptical. 'Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled. If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,' wrote California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, who was one of Colbert's guests on Thursday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren echoed the sentiment.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Fired Epstein Prosecutor Maurene Comey Torches Trump's ‘Tyrant' DOJ In Letter To Colleagues
Former Justice Department prosecutor Maurene Comey urged her colleagues against capitulating to the Trump administration's demands in a letter Thursday, multiple outlets report, likening the agency's leadership to 'tyrants' after Comey—who prosecuted cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell—was abruptly fired Wednesday amid a broader firestorm over the DOJ's handling of the Epstein probe. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey arrives at federal court in New York City for the Sean "Diddy" ... More Combs trial on May 19. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Comey sent a letter to colleagues at the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, Politico first reported, in which she confirmed she was 'summarily fired' from the Justice Department on Wednesday and was not given a reason for her termination. She prosecuted cases against Epstein and Maxwell, as well as Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump. The ex-prosecutor warned colleagues in the letter that their practice of doing their work 'without fear' is now under threat, writing, 'If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain' and urging colleagues, 'Do not let that happen.' Comey appeared to take aim at the Trump administration, writing, 'Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.' Comey's departure comes as the Justice Department more broadly faces a barrage of criticism from both sides of the aisle for its memo declaring the agency will not release any further files on its investigation into Epstein, which also shot down conspiracy theories regarding the nature of Epstein's 2019 death in prison and the existence of a 'client list' detailing people who took part in his alleged sex trafficking operation. It's unclear if Comey's firing is at all tied to the ongoing controversy over the Epstein files, and it comes as numerous DOJ staff have separately been fired or left the agency voluntarily, with Reuters reporting two-thirds of the staff tasked with defending the administration's policies have quit. The New York Times reports Comey's firing may have come from Trump directly. The memo informing her of her termination reportedly cited Article II of the Constitution, which details the president's powers. What Did Maurene Comey's Full Letter Say? Comey's full letter, as quoted by Politico, reads: 'Yesterday was unexpectedly my last day in the Office. I was summarily fired via memo from Main Justice that did not give a reason for my termination. Every person lucky enough to work in this office constantly hears four words to describe our ethos: Without Fear or Favor. Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons without fear of retribution and without fear to the powerful. For the majority of my nearly ten years in SDNY, the hard part seemed to be acting 'without favor.' That is, making sure people with access, money, and power were not treated differently than anyone else; and making sure this office remained separate from politics and focused only on the facts and the law. Fear was never really conceivable. We don't fear bad press; we have the luxury of exceptional security keeping us physically safe; and, so long as we did our work with integrity, we would get to keep serving the public in this office. But we have entered a new phase where 'without fear' may be the challenge. If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else. It has been an honor to fight for those principles by your side. Maurene' What To Watch For The drama over the Epstein files is still unfolding at the Justice Department, and it remains to be seen if the agency will capitulate to Republicans who continue to urge for more documents to be released. (Trump, for his part, has railed against the continued interest in the Epstein files, but has said the DOJ should release any 'credible' information.) Comey may also not be the only high-level departure from the agency amid the controversy: many right-wing figures including activist Laura Loomer and commentator Megyn Kelly have called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign, though Bondi has so far shown no willingness to do so, and Trump has not expressed displeasure with the attorney general. Tangent Comey's departure also comes amid reports that the FBI has launched an investigation into her father, though it's unclear what prompted it. James Comey has long been criticized by Trump over his handling of investigations into the 2016 election, and was fired by the president during his first term. Any conduct from Trump's first term would now be outside a five-year statute of limitations, NBC News notes, however, though James Comey has more recently drawn controversy and outrage from the right for a social media post that said '86 47,' which has been interpreted as a message to 'eject' or 'remove' Trump. The former FBI director later deleted the image, saying he 'posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.' Key Background Epstein allegedly abused more than 100 women between 2002 and 2018, assembling an alleged network of underage women who were allegedly abused by him and associates. He was indicted in federal court in 2019 for sex trafficking and died in prison later that year, but the financier's crimes have continued to garner widespread attention. The latest controversy over the Epstein investigation comes after top Trump officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and deputy Dan Bongino, have long pushed conspiracy theories about a government 'cover-up' of files concerning the Epstein investigation, which stoked widespread interest among Trump's base in those files being released. Bondi and Patel have repeatedly suggested in recent months they would release the government's files on the investigation, but as of July, there had only been one limited release of documents—which were already largely publicly available. While officials maintained they were prioritizing making the files public, that abruptly came to an end with the memo announcing no further documents would be released. The memo has unleashed a wave of criticism from the right, with numerous Republicans calling for the files to be released and attacking the Trump administration for continuing to withhold them. Trump has decried his supporters for their continued interest in the story, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday that the Epstein story is a 'hoax' and saying of supporters who push the issue, 'I don't want their support anymore!' Further Reading Forbes Maurene Comey—Epstein Prosecutor And Daughter Of James Comey—Fired From Justice Department By Antonio Pequeño IV Forbes Trump Rips 'Weaklings' Who Criticized Handling Of Epstein Files—Calls It 'Big Hoax' By Sara Dorn
Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Lead Diddy Prosecutor Fired Days After Verdict
Maurene Comey has been fired from her role as lead prosecutor in the Diddy trial. Blake Lively's deposition in her legal battle with Justin Baldoni has been delayed. Plus, Denise Richards has obtained a restraining order against her estranged husband Aaron Phypers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit FOX News Radio
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Haberman reacts to the firing of Comey's daughter, a prosecutor in Epstein case
CNN's Kaitlan Collins talks with Maggie Haberman about reports that Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her job in the Southern District of New York.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Haberman reacts to the firing of Comey's daughter, a prosecutor in Epstein case
CNN's Kaitlan Collins talks with Maggie Haberman about reports that Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her job in the Southern District of New York.
