Stephen Colbert Unleashes Fiery Comeback at Trump After ‘The Late Show’ Cancellation
Stephen Colbert isn’t going down without a fight.
On Monday night (July 21), returning to the Late Show stage for the first time since CBS announced the program’s cancellation in 2026, Colbert fired a direct, no-holds-barred response to Donald Trump’s online gloating.
Colbert’s Blunt Message: “Go F* Yourself”**
Trump had gleefully celebrated the show’s demise on Truth Social, mocking Colbert with:
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”
Colbert didn’t hesitate. Looking straight into his “Eloquence Cam,” he shot back with a simple, savage three-word reply:
“Go f* yourself.”**
Standing Up for Jimmy Kimmel
But Trump wasn’t done. He also threw shade at fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, calling him “next” with “even less talent.” Colbert quickly jumped to Kimmel’s defense—laced with sharp wit:
“Nope. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I’m the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross—and the view is fantastic. I can see your house!”
Behind the Curtain: Cancellation Controversy
CBS blamed the cancellation on “financial decisions,” pointing to high production costs and slipping ad revenue. Yet industry insiders smell something else.
Paramount, CBS’s parent company, is preparing an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance—an outfit backed by pro-Trump billionaire Larry Ellison. Some sources claim this is no coincidence, hinting the cancellation is part of a broader “Trump shakedown” connected to a $16 million lawsuit settlement over a contentious Kamala Harris interview.
Colbert didn’t hold back on his take:
“It’s a big fat bribe. My dream was always to have a sitting president root for my unemployment.”
Mocking CBS’s Numbers
CBS claims the show lost up to $50 million last year. Colbert quipped:
“I can account for $24 million. Where did the other $16 million go? Oh yeah.”
He even joked that his signature moustache might’ve sealed the deal:
“They saw my upper lip and boom—canceled. Coincidence? I think not. This is worse than fascism. This is stachism.”
A Vow to Speak Truth Until the End
Defiant, Colbert vowed:
“If CBS is killing off the show while I’m still standing, I’ll keep speaking unvarnished truth to power.”
Jon Stewart Joins the Fray
Jon Stewart threw his support behind Colbert on The Daily Show, accusing Paramount of using the cancellation to “censor and control” Colbert’s team for political reasons.
“Was this purely financial? Or just the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger?” Stewart asked, warning networks that trying to avoid Trump’s ire by playing it safe is a losing game:
“If you think you can make yourself so bland you’ll never be targeted again—you’re wrong.”
The crowd’s rallying cry echoed loud and clear:
“Go f* yourselves!”** — aimed squarely at networks bowing to political pressure.