loading . . . Colbertās Cancellation Is a Dark Warning Stefano Spaziani/AP
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On Thursday, Stephen Colbert, the beloved, sharp-tongued comedian and host of the _Late Show_ , announced that CBS was cancelling the legendary franchise. āThis is all just going away,ā Colbert told the audience, as they responded with a wave of gasps and jeers. Online, the news was met with a similar blend of shock and anger.
The move to cancel one of televisionās last remaining crown jewels of broadcast programming came just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBSās corporate owner, Paramount, for agreeing to pay President Donald Trump $16 million to settle an outrageous $20 billion lawsuit against the company. Trump has now long claimed that _60 Minutes_ producers unfairly edited their interview with then-presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a complaint widely viewed by legal and media experts as completely baseless. The agreement was the latest in a series of bootlicking moves by Paramount as its chairwoman, Shari Redstone, desperately tries to sell the company to Skydance Media, a deal that requires federal approval.
If that sounds like the groundwork for a bribery, Colbert agrees. In his opening monologue on Monday, the host called the settlement a ābig fat bribe.ā CBS has since claimed that Colbertās cancellation is āpurely financial,ā even though the _Late Show_ currently clocks in as the highest-rated show on late-night.
So, whatās the truth? Thereās little to doubt that the finances surrounding late-night production are probably not great. TV, particularly shows that require original writing and a marquee host, is an expensive undertaking. But the details of what led to the decision to sack Colbert are certain to expose an extraordinary level of eagerness by Paramountās top brass to grovel at the feet of this president, as he targets his perceived enemiesāthe nationās top schools, law firms, and so forthāwith colossal funding threats, lawsuits, and beyond. Remember that Redstone, daughter of Paramount founder Sumner Redstone, reportedly saw nothing wrong with instructing CBS leaders to shelve negative stories about Trump until after the Skydance merger was officially sealed.
But Paramountās future aside, the end of Colbert signals a dark new chapter in Trumpās authoritarian slide. Though his second term has already produced a string of stunning capitulations by some of the most powerful forces in the country, one could argue that Trumpās attacks had yet to take down our actual culture. Iām talking about the literal content we consumeāthe television, art, movies, literature, musicāno matter how much Trump complained. That it remained protected and free-willed, a rare area of control for a public that otherwise feels powerless to take action. Clearly, that was magical thinking.
The only upside is that Colbert will soon be free to go scorched earth against a president he detests. Every other network stands to gain enormously right now. Hereās to hoping a spine emerges. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/ice-arrests-federal-courthouses-sacramento-san-francisco-diego-denver-immigration-hearings-arrests-volunteer-observers/