Former US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on comedian Stephen Colbert, demanding that the CBS network cancel his late-night talk show immediately. The outburst came after the broadcaster re-aired a monologue from December 8 in which Colbert panned Trump's hosting of the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony.
A Midnight Tirade on Truth Social
In a series of early-morning posts on his Truth Social platform, beginning around 1am on Wednesday, Trump unleashed a torrent of criticism against the host. He labelled Colbert a "pathetic trainwreck" with "no talent" and claimed the show was surviving only on "hatred and fumes." Trump went as far as to suggest CBS should "put him to sleep" as a "humanitarian" act, rather than waiting for the show's planned conclusion next May.
In subsequent messages, Trump questioned which network had the worst late-night host, naming CBS, ABC, and NBC, and claimed they all shared "High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS." He also suggested CBS could face repercussions, including the potential termination of its broadcast licence, because Colbert's content was "almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party." Trump signed off the flurry with a terse "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!"
The Source of the Controversy
The row stems from a segment Colbert aired on December 8, shortly after CBS broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors, which Trump chaired and hosted. In his monologue, Colbert played a clip of Trump expressing concern about how people would judge his performance compared to other late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel.
Colbert quipped, "You can’t and you shouldn’t," in response to Trump's comments about beating Kimmel's talent. He pointed out that Kimmel had never hosted the prestigious ceremony, unlike Colbert himself, who hosted for the three years preceding Trump's presidency. The host also mocked Trump for receiving a "fake" inaugural FIFA Peace Prize award earlier that week.
Ongoing Feud and Network Decisions
This is not the first clash between the two figures. CBS announced in the summer that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2024 for financial reasons, a move Trump publicly celebrated. Colbert responded during a July broadcast with a censored expletive directed at the former president.
The incident echoes recent tensions surrounding late-night comedy. ABC's Jimmy Kimmel was briefly pulled from air after FCC commissioner Brendan Carr suggested a probe into his comments about activist Charlie Kirk, though Kimmel's show returned and he has since secured a contract extension. Colbert has not yet announced his professional plans following his show's conclusion.
