Stephen Colbert didn’t hold back in his first appearance since CBS abruptly canceled The Late Show last week, delivering a scathing monologue aimed directly at Donald Trump and Paramount executives. Declaring “the gloves are off,” Colbert took sharp jabs at the network, Trump, and what he called a corporate attempt to “censor and control” late-night voices.
Colbert’s exit followed CBS’s $16 million settlement with Trump over a dispute involving 60 Minutes—a move Colbert publicly called “a big fat bribe.” Just days later, Paramount, which owns CBS and is seeking regulatory approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, pulled the plug on its top-rated late-night franchise. Trump, who has frequently been a target of Colbert’s satire, celebrated the cancellation on Truth Social, writing, “I absolutely love that Colbert was fired.”
Colbert hit back hard in his Monday night broadcast. “Go f*** yourself, Mr. President,” he said, drawing loud applause from his live audience. He mocked the timing of his show’s cancellation, joking, “Apparently, CBS took one look at my moustache last week and said, ‘That’s it. He’s gone.’ This isn’t fascism. This is stachism.”
Leaked reports over the weekend suggested The Late Show lost $40–50 million last year. Colbert quipped that he could personally account for $24 million of that. “Where did the rest go? Oh yeah…,” he added, referencing the network’s Trump settlement.
The episode was packed with support from fellow comedians and public figures. Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Weird Al Yankovic, Anderson Cooper, Adam Sandler, and others appeared in pre-taped segments to back Colbert.
Jon Stewart, Colbert’s longtime friend and former Daily Show boss, devoted a fiery portion of his own Comedy Central broadcast to blast Paramount’s decision.
“CBS just let go of its number one late-night show—the one that’s been on for more than 30 years—without a real fight,” Stewart said. “Is this about money? Or is it just the easiest way to not piss off a wannabe king before your $8 billion deal gets reviewed?”
He continued, “If networks believe they can become so bland and safe that they’ll never draw Trump’s wrath, they’re delusional. And they’re wrong. Dead wrong.” Stewart ended his segment by leading the audience in a chant of “Go f*** yourselves,” aimed squarely at corporations that cave to political pressure.
Over on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon joked about the backlash: “CBS could lose millions of viewers… and dozens more watching on Paramount+.”
Colbert became visibly emotional during the taping, especially when guest Sandra Oh cursed both CBS and Paramount for “silencing one of the last truth-tellers.” She praised Colbert’s ability to confront power while keeping audiences laughing.
At the end of the taping, Colbert admitted, “I was nervous coming out here,” and told his audience, “I will miss you.” He canceled a planned Q&A session afterward.
Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, where The Late Show is filmed, protesters gathered holding signs that read, “Colbert Stays! Trump Must Go!” One audience member, 48-year-old teacher Elizabeth Kott, called the firing “terrible.”
“It’s chilling,” she said. “Companies are now preemptively obeying political pressure—and that’s a dangerous place for democracy to be.”
