Colbert Says ‘Gloves Are Off’ After Cancelation—Tells Trump ‘Go F— Yourself’

Stephen Colbert addressed the cancellation of ‘The Late Show’ in his monologue on Monday night, where he repeatedly attacked President Donald Trump and vowed the “gloves are off,” for the next 10 months while he is still on air, as several celebrities and fellow late-night show hosts appeared at the Ed Sullivan Theater to show their support.

The Late Show host Stephen Colbert promised that the “gloves are off” for the remaining 10 months … More he’s still on air.

CBS via Getty Images

Key Facts

Colbert, who briefly addressed the cancellation on Thursday, tackled the issue during his monologue and said that it “sunk in over the weekend that they’re killing off our show…but they made one mistake, they left me alive.”

As the crowd cheered his name, the late-night host said, “Now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off,” and joked that he can finally say what he really thinks about Donald Trump.

The comedian pointed out that many have been questioning “the timing of this decision,” which came just days after he called out the network and its parent company for agreeing to a $16 million settlement with Trump.

Colbert noted CBS said “very nice things about me and…the show,” and claimed the cancellation was a “purely financial decision,” but when people pointed out that his show was number one in ratings, the network followed up with a “gracious anonymous leak” suggesting his show was losing between $40-50 million a year.

Saying that $40 million was a big number, Colbert joked he could see the show losing $24 million, but “where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million,” referencing the settlement with Trump.

What Did Colbert Say About Trump?

Colbert brought up Trump’s Truth Social post, saying, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.” As the audience jeered, Colbert reacted with mock outrage and said: “How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?” He then turned to the camera and said: “Go f— your self.” On Trump’s comment that Jimmy Kimmel was “next,” the Late Show host quipped: “Nope, no, no. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I am the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross.” The rest of the monologue pivoted towards Trump’s ties with disgraced former financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Colbert said: “The only other story out there, it’s kind of a small one. The president was buddies with a pedophile.”

Who All Showed Up On Colbert’s Show?

In an apparent public display of support for their colleague, many other prominent late-night hosts briefly appeared during the broadcast. Last Week Tonight‘s John Oliver, The Tonight Show‘s Jimmy Fallon, Late Night‘s Seth Meyers and The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart were shown sitting in the audience. They were joined by a few other famous guests, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Weird Al Yankovic, Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper and Adam Sandler.

How Did Other Late Night Hosts Address Colbert’s Cancelation?

Colbert’s long-time friend and former colleague, John Stewart, tore into CBS and Paramount in the opening segment of The Daily Show on Sunday. Stewart said he was aware that late-night TV is a struggling financial model. “But when your industry is faced with changes, you don’t just call it a day.” He also questioned CBS’ assertion that the move was “purely financial,” and said, “Or maybe it’s the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger to kill a show that you know rankled a fragile and vengeful president.” Paramount is also the parent company of Comedy Central, the cable network that broadcasts The Daily Show, and Stewart has acknowledged that he is unsure how Paramount’s merger with Skydance impacts the future of his show. The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon briefly mentioned ‘The Late Show’ cancellation during his monologue and said many people were threatening to boycott the network. He then joked: “CBS could lose millions of viewers plus tens of hundreds watching on Paramount Plus.”

Key Background

Last week, CBS and Paramount executives announced that the network will cancel Colbert’s late-night talk show and “retire” the ‘The Late Show’ franchise in May 2026. The network executives said the cancellation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and added, “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.” However, the timing of the cancelation immediately raised some eyebrows, with many Democratic lawmakers questioning if the move was undertaken to appease Trump or a response to Colbert’s sharp criticism of Paramount’s settlement. Earlier this month, Paramount announced it had reached a settlement with Trump to resolve a lawsuit he filed against the network over a CBS News 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that aired last year. Trump had claimed CBS News edited the interview to make the Democratic presidential candidate’s replies appear more competent. Paramount said it would pay $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library, but the settlement would not include any “statement of apology or regret.” In legal filings made before the settlement, CBS’s lawyers argued that Trump’s case was “completely without merit.” However, reports said Paramount’s chair, Shari Redstone, was keen to settle as the company needed federal approval to complete its multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media.

Dozens of anti-Trump protesters gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater to protest CBS’s … More cancelation of the Late Show.

Anadolu via Getty Images

The protestors carried posters and chanted “Trump must go, Colbert must stay.”