Trump Throws Shade at Colbert Before Late Show's Final Curtain
Donald Trump isn’t about to let Stephen Colbert ride off into the sunset without a parting shot.
Colbert’s Late Show is set to air its swan song Thursday night, with CBS teasing an “extended” farewell that promises to stretch beyond the usual hour. Details on guests and runtime remain under wraps, but anticipation is building.
When asked about the show’s impending end, Trump, 79, delivered a chilling one-liner: “I'll have a message at a later date.”
This cryptic remark hints at a more elaborate response coming soon, a classic move from the former president known for his bombastic commentary.
White House spokesman David Ingle didn’t hold back either, labeling Colbert as “a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings,” claiming this is precisely why CBS decided to pull the plug on his show.
The curtain falls on CBS’s iconic Late Show franchise after 33 years, a legacy that began in 1993 with David Letterman before Colbert took over in 2015.
The cancellation was announced last July, shortly after Colbert took a jab at Paramount, CBS’s parent company, for settling a $16 million lawsuit with Trump over allegations of deceptive editing in a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Insiders have dubbed this move as part of the ongoing “Trump shakedown” saga that started with the settlement.
During his final appearance on the Late Show, die-hard Trump critic Bruce Springsteen didn’t hold back either, targeting Paramount’s owners Larry and David Ellison while performing an acoustic rendition of his protest anthem “Streets of Minneapolis.”
“I’m here tonight in support of Stephen because he’s the first guy in America to lose his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen declared. “And because Larry and David Ellison are too busy kissing his ass to get what they want. Stephen, these are small-minded people who don’t understand what freedom in this great country is all about. This is for you.”
As Colbert exits late night, he’s set to embark on a new adventure—writing a fresh Lord of the Rings film. The surprise announcement came from Peter Jackson in March, revealing their collaboration on The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.
