Stephen Colbert returned to the airwaves on Monday for the first time since his Late Show was cancelled, telling Donald Trump “the gloves are off” and directing an expletive at the president. The cancellation came days after Colbert accused Paramount of paying a $16m settlement to Trump over a 60 Minutes lawsuit, which he called a “big fat bribe”. Paramount, which owns CBS, is seeking approval from the Trump-controlled FCC for its $8bn sale to Skydance.
Colbert joked that it had been his dream to have a sitting president celebrate the end of his career, referencing Trump’s Truth Social post that said: “I absolutely love that Colbert was fired.” He also mocked CBS’s suggestion that the show lost $40m-$50m last year, quipping that he could account for $24m of that, and wondered where the other $16m went.
Fellow late-night hosts Jon Stewart, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers appeared in a show of solidarity. Stewart, on The Daily Show, lambasted Paramount for trying to “censor and control” its hosts, leading the audience in a chant of “go fuck yourselves” directed at corporations that bend the knee to Trump. Jimmy Fallon noted that viewers were planning to boycott CBS over the decision.
Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, protesters held placards reading “Colbert Stays! Trump Must Go!” Audience member Elizabeth Kott, a high school teacher, called the firing “terrible” and said it was “awful that companies feel the need to obey in advance.”
