Stephen Colbert responds to theories that President Donald Trump obtained The Late Present canceled, explaining his perspective on what occurred. The Late Present with Stephen Colbert was cancelled by CBS in July 2025, citing the tip of the late-night discuss present as a monetary resolution. The present stays ongoing and can air its remaining episode in Could 2026.
Nevertheless, rumors started swirling not lengthy after that President Trump was concerned in axing the present. The ending was introduced not lengthy after Colbert spoke out in opposition to CBS’ guardian firm, Paramount, for a $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit in opposition to 60 Minutes. US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff additionally pushed the narrative that political elements had been concerned.
Talking with GQ, Colbert defined that he understands why some would think about The Late Present‘s cancellation to be politically motivated. He cites Paramount’s lawsuit settlement as a possible try and “curry favor” with Trump. Nevertheless, he additionally stated he does not wish to speculate, wanting to maintain an amicable relationship with CBS and Paramount whereas his present winds up:
That’s not my response to it. My response as an expert in present enterprise is to go: That’s the community’s resolution. I can perceive why individuals would have that response as a result of CBS or the guardian company — I’m not going to say who made that call, as a result of I don’t know; nobody’s ever going to inform us — determined to chop a test for $16 million to the president of the US over a lawsuit that their very own attorneys, Paramount’s personal attorneys, stated is totally with out benefit. And it’s self-evident that that’s damaging to the repute of the community, the company, and the information division. So it’s unclear to me why anybody would try this aside from to curry favor with a single particular person.
If individuals have theories that affiliate me with that, it’s an inexpensive factor to suppose, as a result of CBS or the company clearly did it as soon as. However my facet of the road is clear and I’ve no real interest in selecting up a brush or including to refuse on the opposite facet of the road. Not my downside. So individuals can have their theories. I’ve my emotions about not doing the present anymore, however you’d have to point out me why that’s a fruitful relationship for me to have with my community for the following 9 months, for me to have interaction in that hypothesis.
As well as, Colbert stated he has a “nice relationship with CBS,” explaining the way it made their resolution to cancel the present really feel so sudden. He praised them for the work he is been in a position to do with them, stating that he nonetheless has a powerful relationship with them regardless of the approaching finish of his present:
It’s one of many explanation why this was so shocking and so stunning that there was no preamble to this. We do budgets and all the things like that. We’ve achieved cuts and stuff like that. In order that’s why it was shocking to me, as I stated, however I meant what I stated [on air] the following night time after I discovered, as a result of I couldn’t sit on it. They’ve been nice companions. They actually have. They’ve been very supportive.
Colbert’s present is not the one late-night discuss present to be combined up within the present political administration. Jimmy Kimmel Dwell! was briefly taken off the air after the host’s controversial feedback in regards to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and made inaccurate claims about shooter Tyler James Robinson. His present stays on-air at ABC after having been pulled for per week.
All publicly obtainable info signifies The Late Present was canceled for monetary causes. Nevertheless, the timing of its cancelation coupled with Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison’s optimistic relationship with Trump makes it straightforward for rumors to unfold. Colbert, nevertheless, does not wish to speculate, citing the various months forward he has on the community producing extra episodes of the present.
Since CBS’ official reasoning is monetary, The Late Present‘s ending most likely will not get another concrete response. There is no arduous proof supporting the sequence was canceled for political functions, which means all it will quantity to for now could be hypothesis. All that is clear is Colbert needs to complete the present on good phrases with the community and their guardian firm.
- Showrunner
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Christopher Andrew Licht
- Administrators
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Jake Plunkett, Jim Hoskinson, Ballard C. Boyd
- Writers
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Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert