President Donald Trump compared Stephen Colbert to a 'dead person' as The Late Show came to a close on Friday morning, with the late-night host delivering a few parting shots at CBS on his way out.
Colbert shockingly announced last year that Paramount/CBS would not be renewing his contract after 11 years on the air, ending the late-night program after 44 years. At the time, the network claimed it was 'purely a financial decision,' but the cancellation came days after the Northwestern University graduate called Paramount/CBS' $16 million lawsuit settlement with President Trump 'a big fat bribe.' Paramount was also in the midst of a multibillion-dollar merger with movie studio Skydance, which requires government approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
When the show ended on Friday, Trump celebrated. 'Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing he lasted so long!' the president wrote on Truth Social, claiming Colbert had 'no talent, no life.' 'He was like a dead person,' Trump continued. 'You could take any person off of the street and they would do better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone.'
But as Colbert ended the show, he took a few jabs at his now-former bosses at CBS and Paramount. During his 'Meanwhile' segment, Colbert shared a headline about how the owner of the music used in 'Peanuts' animated specials filed several lawsuits against those who played the song 'Linus and Lucy' without permission. 'Now, "Peanuts" is a powerful brand and corporation in and of itself,' Colbert noted. 'Anyone illegally using that music is going to have to pay through the nose.' At that point, his band started playing the tune. 'Louis, is the band right now playing the same "Peanuts" music that I just said people were being sued for using without permission?' he asked singer Louis Cato, who nodded. 'Oh no, I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money,' Colbert said sarcastically.
Later, in a pre-taped bit as the star-studded final episode ended, Colbert investigated what had been causing 'technical difficulties' during his show—only to find a swirling green vortex. Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explained it was an 'interdimensional wormhole' caused by the show's cancellation despite being 'number one on late night.' The dichotomy, he said, 'created a rift in the comedy-variety-talk continuum' that threatened to destroy 'all of late night television.'
Colbert's one-time mentor Jon Stewart then appeared to 'deliver a statement' on behalf of Paramount. Stewart hosts 'The Daily Show' on Comedy Central once a week; both Comedy Central and CBS are owned by Paramount. 'Paramount strongly believes in covering both sides of any black hole that is swallowing everything we know and love, and the coverage must also include the positive aspect of the insatiable emptiness,' he remarked. The joke seemed to be a jab at CBS News President Bari Weiss, who has argued for more conservative voices and once scrapped a '60 Minutes' segment on President Trump's deportation plan.
The wormhole segment ended with fellow late-night comedians Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers offering perspectives. 'Late night isn't going to be the same without you,' Kimmel said. 'Yeah, without you, who will America turn to see a middle-aged white man make jokes about the news?' added Meyers. Later, Kimmel remarked: 'One of these holes opened at my show last year, but it went away after three days,' referencing Jimmy Kimmel Live's brief cancellation after backlash to a joke about Charlie Kirk's assassination. In the end, Oliver said, 'this may come for all of our shows—but what's important to remember is tonight, it's going to eat you.'
Fans gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City for Colbert's last show. The comedian, who replaced Letterman at the helm of The Late Show in 2015, has remained mostly cordial. He thanked CBS and TV viewers at the time of the cancellation for their support. 'I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away,' he told fans. 'I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners… And I'm grateful to the audience, you, who have joined us every night, in here, out there, and all around the world.' Colbert has since secured a post-cancellation gig penning a new Lord of the Rings film for Warner Bros. with his 27-year-old son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens, announced on Tolkien Reading Day March 25.
