Piers Morgan is placing the blame for Stephen Colbert’s upcoming exit squarely on what he sees as the decline of political neutrality in late-night TV.
Reacting to the recent announcement that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end after the upcoming season, Morgan took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to slam Colbert and other late-night hosts as “hyper-partisan activist hacks” who serve more as Democratic Party mouthpieces than entertainers.
He shared a New York Post front page that mocked the host with the headline: “No wonder he was canned: ‘The Left Show with Stephen Colbert.’”
“This is so damning,” Morgan wrote. “Most of America’s biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats – a party that’s rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.”
Morgan isn’t alone in criticizing the political leanings of late-night television. Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno also weighed in Sunday, expressing concern that today’s hosts are alienating viewers by aligning too closely with one side of the political spectrum.
“I love political humor, don’t get me wrong,” Leno said during a conversation with David Trulio, president of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “But it’s just what happens when people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other. Why shoot for just half an audience all the time? Why not try to get the whole?”
CBS announced on July 17 that The Late Show franchise will end after the upcoming season. The network cited financial reasons for the decision, but speculation has swirled that the move may also be linked to political pressure, particularly with CBS parent company Paramount seeking approval from President Donald Trump’s FCC for its merger with Skydance.
Critics say the show’s ratings have slipped as Colbert leaned more heavily into political commentary, especially during and after Trump’s first term. Colbert, for his part, has remained defiant, recently praising South Park‘s portrayal of a naked Trump as “an important message of hope for our times.”
