Donald Trump says he had nothing to do with CBS cancelling “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
In a post to Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump claimed that “everybody” thinks he was “solely responsible” for the end of “The Late Show,” an accusation the President declared “not true!” He asserted the reason Stephen Colbert was cancelled was due to “$50 Million Dollars a year” in losses and a “pure lack of TALENT.”
More from Variety
Samantha Bee Says Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Was ‘Hemorrhaging Money’ and ‘People Aren’t Tuning In’: It’s a ‘No-Brainer’ to Cancel Amid Paramount-Skydance Merger
Donald Trump Gropes Satan’s Leg in New ‘South Park’ Footage; Show Won’t Air New Episode This Week but Keeps Targeting Trump Anyway
Dean Cain Is Still Flying High: ‘Lois & Clark’ Heartthrob Tells All on Supporting Trump, Opposing ‘Woke’ Superman and Overcoming Sexual Harassment
“Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, ‘Late Night’” Trump wrote. “That is not true! The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses — And it was only going to get WORSE!”
Trump went on to say the “even less talented” Jimmy Kimmel, who hosts ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmy Live!,” and the “weak, and very insecure” Jimmy Fallon of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” are next on the chopping block.
“Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon,” he added. “The only real question is, who will go first? Show Biz and Television is a very simple business. If you get Ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don’t, you always become a victim. Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow.”
While unnamed in Trump’s post, Seth Meyers recently addressed his future in the late-night space. He said the fate of his show, “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” is “outside of my control.”
“There is this weird thing that I feel like I shifted from fearing that I wouldn’t be good enough,” he said. “And now my fear is weirdly more outside of my control, which is … just at some point, the ecosystem might not support [late-night].”
Best of Variety
What’s Coming to Disney+ in August 2025
What’s Coming to Netflix in August 2025
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
