Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Stephen Colbert following the final episode of The Late Show, calling the host a 'total jerk' and 'like a dead person'. In a post on Truth Social, the US president celebrated the end of the CBS programme, which aired its last episode on 14 August 2025.
Trump wrote: 'Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long. No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone!'
CBS cancelled The Late Show in July 2025, ten years after Colbert took over from David Letterman, ending a 33-year franchise. The network described the decision as 'purely a financial decision' due to the 'challenging' late-night TV environment, insisting it was unrelated to the show's performance or content.
The cancellation came after Colbert criticised Paramount Global, owner of CBS, for agreeing to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over edits to a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert called the settlement a 'big fat bribe'.
Trump has also targeted other late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, who appeared on Colbert's final show alongside Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver. The final episode featured a performance by Paul McCartney of The Beatles' Hello, Goodbye, with Colbert, Jon Batiste and Elvis Costello.
