Donald Trump takes a dig at Stephen Colbert.
Trump Takes Final Swipe at Stephen Colbert Before Late Show Exit
May 21 2026, Published 2:35 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump took another shot at Stephen Colbert before the comedian’s final Late Show broadcast. He said he would have a message for Colbert “at a later date” as CBS prepared to conclude its 33-year late-night franchise.
Trump made the comment Wednesday when reporters asked him about Colbert’s last episode, which airs Thursday night on CBS. “I’ll have a message at a later date,” Trump said, according to The Independent.
President Trump is asked about Stephen Colbert.
The White House later criticized Colbert in a statement to the outlet, calling him “a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings.”
This remark came at the end of a long feud between Trump and Colbert. Colbert’s show became a major platform for criticizing Trump and his administration. Colbert took over “The Late Show” from David Letterman in 2015. CBS will end the franchise after Thursday’s episode, closing a run that started with Letterman in 1993.
CBS announced last July that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026. The network stated that the decision was financial and had nothing to do with the show’s performance or content.
The announcement followed Colbert’s criticism of Paramount, CBS’ parent company, for reaching a $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit related to a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Colbert referred to the Paramount settlement as a “big fat bribe” on his show. The deal came as Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media waited for approval from the Trump administration, a timing that drew criticism from Colbert and others in the entertainment industry.
CBS has denied that politics influenced the cancellation.
Trump celebrated the cancellation when CBS announced it. He wrote on Truth Social that he “absolutely” loved that Colbert “got fired.”
He also suggested Jimmy Kimmel might be next. Trump has repeatedly mocked Colbert’s ratings and talent. Meanwhile, Colbert has turned Trump’s attacks into material for his monologues.
The final episode will run longer than the show’s usual one-hour time slot, but CBS had not announced the full guest list or exact runtime as of Thursday afternoon, The Independent reported.
Colbert’s final week has attracted a wave of public support from entertainers and fellow late-night hosts.
Bruce Springsteen appeared on Wednesday’s Late Show and criticized both Trump and Paramount’s leadership. “I am here tonight in support of 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,” Springsteen said, according to The Independent.
Jimmy Kimmel also honored Colbert this week and stated that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would air a rerun Thursday rather than compete with Colbert’s farewell. NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will also air a rerun Thursday, giving Colbert’s final broadcast the late-night spotlight.
Colbert said this week that he had “no fear” of the Trump administration when asked about rumors regarding the end of his show. “How much does it diminish the office of the Presidency to even notice what we say?” he told People.
After Colbert leaves CBS, the 11:35 p.m. time slot will go to Comics Unleashed, hosted by Byron Allen. Allen has said the show will avoid politics and focus on comedians telling stories.
Colbert’s exit ends one of late-night television’s most combative relationships with Trump. Trump’s latest comment made it clear he was not letting the show end quietly.