Trump Takes Victory Lap Over Colbert’s Exit, Targets Kimmel as “Next”
President Trump wasted no time celebrating CBS’s bombshell decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, suggesting on Friday that other late-night hosts particularly ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel could soon follow.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”
He went on to praise Fox News host Greg Gutfeld, calling him “better than all of them combined,” while taking a swipe at NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, referring to him as “the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.”
CBS announced Thursday that Colbert’s Late Show would be ending in 2026, citing financial pressures. The network emphasized that the decision had nothing to do with the show’s content or performance, saying, “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
Still, the timing has raised eyebrows, particularly following a $16 million settlement CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, recently reached with Trump. That legal dispute centered around a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that Trump claimed was unfairly edited during the last presidential campaign.
The settlement, combined with Paramount’s ongoing push for a merger with Skydance a deal requiring approval from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission has led to speculation about political motives behind Colbert’s ouster.
Inside CBS, the shakeup has already prompted leadership changes. Former network president Wendy McMahon and longtime 60 Minutes producer Bill Owens both stepped down earlier this year.
Colbert, known for his sharp critiques of Trump, didn’t hold back after the settlement news. And following the cancellation announcement, support poured in from fellow comedians.
“Love you Stephen. F— you and all your Sheldons CBS,” Kimmel posted to Instagram, showing solidarity with his late-night peer.
Fallon also offered kind words: “I thought I’d ride this out with him for years to come,” he wrote. “Honestly, he’s really been a gentleman and a true friend… I’m sure whatever he does next will be just as brilliant.”
Meanwhile, CNN anchor Jake Tapper questioned the optics. “Obviously, President Trump has made no secret of his hatred of being mocked,” Tapper said, noting that the timing of CBS’s decision alongside Paramount’s merger ambitions has led some to view the network as entering a “bend-the-knee phase.”
The Writers Guild of America East and West, representing Colbert’s writing staff, has urged New York Attorney General Letitia James to investigate whether Paramount offered a political “bribe” in exchange for regulatory favors.
The Late Show is expected to conclude in May 2026, bringing an end to its nearly 32-year run. Colbert, who took over from David Letterman in 2015, has been a defining figure in the modern late-night era one whose exit may signal broader changes in the landscape of political comedy.