Stephen Colbert returned to the airwaves on Monday, delivering a blistering monologue against Donald Trump after his Late Show was cancelled by CBS. The host declared 'the gloves are off' and told the president to 'go fuck yourself' in his first broadcast since the network pulled the plug.
Colbert's cancellation came three days after he accused Paramount, CBS's parent company, of paying a $16m settlement to Trump over the show 60 Minutes, calling it a 'big fat bribe'. Paramount is seeking approval from the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission for its $8bn sale to Skydance.
In a show of solidarity, fellow late-night hosts including John Oliver, Seth Meyers, and Jon Stewart appeared on Colbert's episode. Stewart lambasted Paramount on The Daily Show, suggesting the cancellation was not purely financial but a move to appease Trump. 'If you believe you can make yourselves so innocuous... you are fucking wrong,' Stewart said, leading a chant of 'go fuck yourselves' directed at corporations bending the knee to Trump.
Colbert joked about the network's claim that his show lost $40m-$50m last year, quipping that he could account for $24m annually and asking where the other $16m went. He also mocked the idea that his moustache led to his firing, calling it 'worse than fascism... stachism.'
Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, protesters held signs reading 'Colbert Stays! Trump Must Go!' Audience member Elizabeth Kott, a high school teacher, called the firing 'terrible,' lamenting that companies feel the need to 'obey in advance.'
