President Donald Trump escalated his feud with late-night television hosts on Tuesday, boasting that Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon could soon follow Stephen Colbert off the air — and suggesting he’s the reason why.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone.”
“These are people with absolutely NO TALENT,” he continued, “who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”
Trump’s comments came just days after CBS announced it would be ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026. The move blindsided fans and prompted speculation about political pressure, particularly as Colbert had recently criticized CBS’ parent company, Paramount, over its $16 million settlement with Trump tied to a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.
Paramount is currently pursuing a merger with Skydance, a deal that would require approval from Trump’s administration.
While CBS cited “a challenging financial landscape in late night” and insisted the cancellation had nothing to do with content or politics, Colbert supporters — including fellow late-night hosts — aren’t convinced.
On July 21, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, and other big names joined Colbert on-air in a satirical segment parodying the Coldplay cheating scandal, a show of solidarity following the cancellation news.
Kimmel, meanwhile, fired back from vacation, posting family photos from an anti-Trump protest. The comedian and his family held signs reading, “Don’t bend the knee,” “Make America Good Again,” and “I wish we had a better president!” Kimmel’s caption alluded to a cryptic letter Trump allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein, stating, “May every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump hasn’t held back his disdain. He recently called Fallon “the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show” and claimed Kimmel had “even less talent than Colbert.”
Despite CBS maintaining that the cancellation was purely financial, many see the timing — just days after Colbert’s Trump criticism — as more than coincidental.
The Late Show, which has led its time slot and recently earned its ninth Emmy nomination for Outstanding Talk Series, will conclude its 10-year run in spring 2026. The program originally launched in 1993 with David Letterman as host.
