After a painfully prolonged swan song, the failing “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has officially been taken off the air as of Thursday’s episode.
And host Stephen Colbert might’ve given his most bitter partisanship a rest for the final show, but the guests leading up to that broadcast made it clear that he still carries just as much animosity toward President Donald Trump as ever.
But after trotting all those celebrities onto the set to bad-mouth the Trump administration, it was the White House that got the final word, as Fox News reported:
Bruce Springsteen, who also frequently speaks out against the president, closed the show with his new protest song “Streets of Minneapolis.”
ADVERTISEMENT“I am here tonight in support for Stephen because you’re the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke,” the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer told the audience.
He also took a swipe at Paramount, which some believe decided to cancel Colbert’s show over politics rather than the stated financial reasons.
“Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his a– to get what they want,” The Boss added. “Stephen, these are small-minded people … they got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.”
The White House hit back on Thursday, with a spokesperson telling Fox News Digital: “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.”
Reactions on social media were widely critical of Colbert and his final week of shows:
Stephen Colbert’s final failure. Flat, lackluster, unfunny, and loaded with guests no one wants to see. Good riddance. https://t.co/C0R4fzBmjN
— Mayo Monkey Virus (@monkey85866) May 22, 2026
Colbert is the first guy in America to host a talk show and lose the network millions every year.. Kimmel comes in a close second.
— Spare Me Your Selective Outrage! (@SomewhatHopeful) May 21, 2026
So Colbert held a TDS therapy session on his last night ever being on broadcast. Sounds like every other night.
— Trump Train. All Aboard!! (@ScruffMcGruff11) May 22, 2026
What do you think?
The Hill reported Friday morning on Trump’s reaction:
“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long!” Trump wrote early Friday on Truth Social.
“No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person,” the president continued. “You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
The comedian’s show on CBS was canceled last year by Paramount Skydance, then known as Paramount Global, a media conglomerate owned by Trump allies Larry and David Ellison. The president has consistently called for Colbert and other late-night TV hosts to be fired for criticism of his administration.
And here’s the monologue from Colbert’s final show:
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