logo
'Gloves Are Off': Cancelled Late Show Host Comes Out Swinging For Trump

'Gloves Are Off': Cancelled Late Show Host Comes Out Swinging For Trump

Stephen Colbert had an unflinching message for US President Donald Trump in his first broadcast since his "Late Show" was cancelled amid a political firestorm -- "the gloves are off."
Colbert, who addressed the cancellation of his show by a broadcaster that has been widely accused of seeking to curry favor with Trump for business reasons, came out swinging -- telling Trump to "go fuck yourself."
"The Late Show," a storied US TV franchise dating back to 1993 when it was hosted by David Letterman, will go off the air in May 2026 following a surprise announcement by broadcaster CBS last week.
The channel is part of Paramount, which is in the throes of an $8 billion takeover that requires approval by the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission. It pulled the plug three days after Colbert skewered CBS for settling a lawsuit with Trump.
He accused it of paying what he termed a "a big fat bribe" of $16 million to the president for what he called "deceptive" editing of an interview with his 2024 election opponent, former vice president Kamala Harris.
Trump reveled in the firing of one of his most prolific detractors, posting on his Truth Social platform that "I absolutely love that Colbert was fired."
Colbert joked Monday that it had always been his dream starting out as an improv comic in Chicago in the 1980s to have a sitting president celebrate the end of his career.
He also disputed the logic of CBS who insisted the cancellation was "purely a financial decision."
He said that in an anonymous leak over the weekend, CBS had appeared to suggest his show lost $40 million last year.
Colbert joked that he could account for losing $24 million annually -- but wasn't to blame for the other $16 million, a reference to CBS News's settlement with Trump.
Monday's cold open was an unsparing riff on Trump demanding that the Washington Commanders change its name back to its former name which was widely considered a slur against Native Americans.
The segment suggested Trump sought to rename the franchise the "Washington Epsteins", in reference to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein whom it has been widely reported was close to Trump.
Colbert returned to this topic after addressing his show's cancellation, proclaiming that they had killed his show but not him, and doing a deep dive on reporting about just how close Trump and Epstein were.
It was a formula that would have been familiar to fans of the show: the deadly serious leavened with humor and quick wit.
Outside the taping at Midtown Manhattan's Ed Sullivan theater, protesters held placards that said "Colbert Stays! Trump Must Go!"
Audience member Elizabeth Kott, a 48-year-old high school teacher, called Colbert's firing "terrible."
"It's really awful that it's come to that in this country, where companies feel the need to obey in advance. It's really awful," she told AFP.
Colbert's lead guest Monday, acclaimed actress Sandra Oh, did not hold back, proclaiming a "plague on CBS and Paramount" -- the network on which Colbert's channel is broadcast and its media giant proprietor.
Colbert's lip trembled as Oh paid tribute to his work speaking truth to power while staying funny.
His other guest, actor Dave Franco, said he had loved Colbert's work in everything from "The Daily Show" to "The Colbert Report" and then "The Late Show."
It was on "The Daily Show," under the supervision of comic "anchor" Jon Stewart, that Colbert perfected his alter-ego -- a blowhard conservative reporter whose studied ignorance parodied actual right-wing broadcasters night after night.
He moved up to a show of his own on the same network, Comedy Central, which was then part of Viacom and today is part of Paramount.
Before long he took one of the most coveted chairs in US television -- host of the CBS late-night slot.
Colbert dropped his arrogant conservative persona and cultivated a reputation as one of the most trusted yet funniest figures on US television.
Through the coronavirus pandemic he became a reassuring presence for millions, broadcasting from a spare room in his house and narrating the challenges he faced alongside his wife Evelyn.
He also became an arch-critic of Trump, skewering the president for everything from his policies to his fondness for Hannibal Lecter.
Skipping a promised question and answer session following the taping of Monday's show, Colbert told his studio audience that "I was nervous coming out here."
"I will miss you." It was on 'The Daily Show,' under the supervision of comic 'anchor' Jon Stewart, that Colbert perfected his alter-ego -- a blowhard conservative reporter AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

GOP Lawmaker Insists Americans Have 'Been Over' the Epstein Case as Calls to Release Files Continue: 'We Need to Move On'
GOP Lawmaker Insists Americans Have 'Been Over' the Epstein Case as Calls to Release Files Continue: 'We Need to Move On'

Int'l Business Times

time2 hours ago

  • Int'l Business Times

GOP Lawmaker Insists Americans Have 'Been Over' the Epstein Case as Calls to Release Files Continue: 'We Need to Move On'

A Republican lawmaker insisted that Americans have "been over" the Jeffrey Epstein case as backlash against the Trump administration for not releasing the files continues. Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez called for the Trump administration to release the Epstein files so that they could "move on" in an interview with CNN Thursday. "This is much more important to a few people than it is to the vast majority of Americans. Americans, I think, are over the Epstein case. They have been over it for a long time. It keeps being brought up and that's why I think — hey man, just release the things and this thing will go away," he said. The representative went on to say that the average American is more worried about "kitchen table issues" like the cost of living. "We got a lot more important things to do for the American people than what happened eight, 10, 20 years ago. It's already been resolved in court. The man was found guilty. He did some heinous things to young girls and he paid the ultimate price with his own suicide. We need to move on," Giménez continued. Giménez's statements come as his own party pushes for Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to testify before lawmakers and DOJ and FBI officials in an attempt to get more clarity about the case. Calls for the Trump administration to release the files have intensified over the last few weeks following a report from the Department of Justice and the FBI declaring that Epstein killed himself and had no client list. Supporters of President Donald Trump and even MAGA influencers have expressed their disappointment in the report, demanding the full release of the files. Since the DOJ and FBI's memo, a report by the Wall Street Journal alleged that Attorney General Pam Bondi warned Trump that his name was in the Epstein files. Although that alone does not mean he may have committed a crime, this report came after the same publication issued a different report alleging Trump sent Epstein a drawing of a naked woman in a birthday message. Trump and the White House have denied both of these reports, and the president filed a lawsuit against the Journal following the first article. Democrats have since amped up calls for Bondi as well as FBI Director Kash Patel to testify before lawmakers about the results of their report and for more transparency on the files. Originally published on Latin Times

White House Melts Down After South Park Torched Trump in Premiere Episode: 'Desperate Attempt for Attention'
White House Melts Down After South Park Torched Trump in Premiere Episode: 'Desperate Attempt for Attention'

Int'l Business Times

time3 hours ago

  • Int'l Business Times

White House Melts Down After South Park Torched Trump in Premiere Episode: 'Desperate Attempt for Attention'

The White House is lashing out after "South Park" skewered Donald Trump in its season premiere, calling the episode a "desperate attempt for attention" and blasting the show's creators as "uninspired." The Wednesday night episode portrayed the president in a graphic parody that showed him in bed with the Devil and mocked the size of his genitals. The segment ended with an AI-generated public service announcement of a fully nude Trump wandering the desert. The satire aired just hours after news broke that Paramount had secured global streaming rights to iconic cartoon in a five-year, $1.5 billion deal. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers responded Thursday morning with a statement to Rolling Stone, saying, "The Left's hypocrisy truly has no end — for years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offense' [sic] content, but suddenly they are praising the show." Rogers added, "This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention." Behind the scenes, Trump officials reportedly scrambled as clips from the episode made the rounds. One senior staffer told the outlet their phone was "lit up" with messages about it. Another adviser, a self-described longtime fan of the show, said they found the episode "disappointing." The satirical attack comes amid criticism that Paramount is becoming too cozy with Trump. The company recently settled a lawsuit with him over a "60 Minutes" interview, reportedly paying $16 million and pledging another $20 million in programming support. Paramount is also awaiting regulatory approval for a proposed merger with Skydance. The show's mocking PSA was a direct jab at that deal. The fallout adds to concerns about political influence over media, especially after the departure of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and CBS's abrupt cancellation of Stephen Colbert's Late Show. Colbert fired back at Trump this week on-air after the president claimed credit for his firing. "Go f--k yourself," Colbert said. Originally published on Latin Times

FCC Chair Backs White House Threat to Cancel The View After Hosts Rip Trump: 'Consequences Aren't Finished'
FCC Chair Backs White House Threat to Cancel The View After Hosts Rip Trump: 'Consequences Aren't Finished'

Int'l Business Times

time3 hours ago

  • Int'l Business Times

FCC Chair Backs White House Threat to Cancel The View After Hosts Rip Trump: 'Consequences Aren't Finished'

The chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seemed to back the White House's threat to cancel "The View" after the show's hosts mocked President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, host Joy Behar ripped into Trump's appearance and intellect over a recent press release by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's office, claiming to have discovered evidence that former President Barack Obama "manufactured" reports on Russian interference in the 2016 election. "First of all, who tried to overthrow the government on January 6? Who was that again? That was not Obama," Behar said to applause from the studio audience. Behar continued to ridicule Trump, saying he is "so jealous of Obama" because Obama is "trim, smart, handsome" and "can sing," all things Behar said Trump is not. Another host chimed in to say that Obama is "happily married," suggesting Trump is not. The White House then called for the show to be "pulled off the air" in a statement to Entertainment Weekly , claiming the show has "hit the lowest ratings" recently. "Joy Behar is an irrelevant loser suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the outlet. This prompted Fox News to ask FCC Chair Brendan Carr if "The View" could be facing "the crosshairs" of the Trump administration during a Thursday morning interview. "It's entirely possible that there's issues over there," Carr said. "Once President Trump has exposed these media gatekeepers and smashed this facade, there's a lot of consequences. I think the consequences aren't quite finished." The FCC chair's statement comes after CBS agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump over the "60 minutes" episode with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Days after late night host Stephen Colbert criticized the deal, CBS' parent company Paramount canceled "The Late Show" hosted by Colbert. While "The View" is under the ABC network, the hosts have bashed the president in the past, challenging Democratic lawmakers to do more against Trump and praising rapper Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance, saying he did not "capitulate to Trump" amid the administration's anti-DEI efforts. Originally published on Latin Times

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store