President Trump lashed out at late-night host Stephen Colbert early Tuesday morning following a CBS rerun of The Late Show, renewing his long-standing criticism of network television and calling on CBS to pull Colbert’s already canceled program immediately.
The remarks came after CBS aired a December 8th episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as a rerun on December 23rd. The episode included monologue jokes targeting President Trump’s recent involvement with the Kennedy Center Honors, an event Trump hosted earlier this month.
U.S. President Donald Trump sits for an interview with ABC News – YouTube, ABC News
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In a post on Truth Social published shortly after midnight, the president sharply criticized Colbert’s performance and the state of late-night television.
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success,” Trump wrote. “Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings.”
Trump Calls on CBS to End Colbert’s Show Immediately
President Trump escalated his comments minutes later, urging CBS to take further action against the long-running late-night program.
“Stephen is running on hatred and fumes — A dead man walking,” the president said. “CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!”
Stephen Colbert interviews Jimmy Kimmel – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Trump followed up with a broader critique of the late-night television landscape across major networks.
“Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC???” he asked. “They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!”
The president has frequently argued that late-night television has become overtly political and hostile toward conservatives, a point he reiterated in another post.
Stephen Colbert at the 2025 Emmys accepts his award – YouTube, Television Academy
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“If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated?” he asked, before answering his own question. “I say, YES!”
Minutes later, Trump punctuated the series of posts with a final message: “MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!”
The CBS Rerun That Sparked the Reaction
The episode that triggered Trump’s response was a rerun originally broadcast on December 8th, featuring guests Sigourney Weaver and Mandy Patinkin. During that show’s monologue, Colbert mocked Trump’s role at the Kennedy Center Honors, drawing boos from the audience.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
“Yeah, I kind of agree,” Colbert said at the time. “It seems like the commander-in-chief shouldn’t have enough time to run a theater.”
Colbert also made light of Trump’s comments about hosting duties and late-night rivals, at one point joking:
“I don’t know how much effort I’m putting into the impression [of Trump] anymore,” he said. “And I don’t care… Fire me!”
‘The Late Show’ Cancellation Already Announced
CBS announced earlier this year that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will conclude in May 2026, a decision the network described as a financial one tied to the declining economics of late-night television. President Trump previously celebrated the announcement, posting that he “absolutely love[d] that Colbert got fired.”
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
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Colbert responded days later on-air with a profanity-laced remark aimed directly at the president.
Despite the scheduled end date, Trump’s latest comments suggest he believes the show should be taken off the air immediately rather than allowed to run through its final season.
Renewed Debate Over Media Bias and Late-Night Television
The exchange illustrates the ongoing tension between President Trump and network late-night hosts, many of whom have made criticism of Trump a central feature of their monologues for years. Trump has consistently argued that such programming reflects institutional bias rather than comedy, while hosts like Colbert maintain that political satire is a core function of the genre.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
With The Late Show already nearing its end, Trump’s latest remarks appear to serve less as a demand for immediate action and more as a renewed indictment of what he sees as a broken and hostile media ecosystem.
Do you agree with Trump that Colbert should be booted from the air early? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
