Colbert’s bribe comment was referring to a $16 million payment Paramount will make to Trump to settle a lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview conducted with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. The settlement came as the network seeks approval from the Trump administration for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Colbert, unlike Stewart, repeatedly thanked CBS for the partnership. “But how could it purely be a financial decision if ‘The Late Show’ is number one in ratings?” Colbert said Monday.
Though Colbert expressed disappointment his show would be canceled in May 2026, he said now “the gloves are off” for the remainder of his time.
“I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump, starting right now,” he said Monday. “I don’t care for him.”
Stewart and Colbert have long been comedic partners, with Colbert appearing as a fictionalized version of himself on the first run of Stewart’s “The Daily Show,” before getting his own “Colbert Report” standalone show. Stewart has also served as a producer during Colbert’s run on CBS’ marquee late night TV program, which will end in its entirety after Colbert’s run.
Stewart called ending the show the “path of least resistance” for the network to get the merger approved by “a fragile and vengeful president.” But he didn’t seem to show any concerns that his show would face the same fate.
“I believe CBS lost the benefit of the doubt two weeks prior, when they sold out their flagship news program to pay an extortion fee to said president,” he said.
Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday he “absolutely loves” that the show was canceled. “His talent was even less than his ratings,” he said.
Colbert responded on his show on Monday in his monologue in a bit labeled the “eloquence cam”: “Go fuck yourself.”
Trump is now turning his attention to other longtime late night rivals who have also voiced support for Colbert, saying he hopes he plays “a major part in” what he describes as their rumored departures.
“The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone,” he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. “These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television.”
Democrats said they would open an investigation into the settlement between Paramount and the president, with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) saying he would be “first in line” calling for a federal inquiry once the party retook congressional power.
“This could be bribery in plain sight,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a statement.
Stewart acknowledged that late-night television may be losing money, but said CBS should have tried to “save their number-one rated” franchise, which has added value to the company as a whole.
“The shows that you now seek to cancel, censor and control — a not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those fucking shows,” he said.
