Overview
- Colbert declined to say CBS canceled The Late Show due to politics, framing it as the network’s decision while acknowledging why others suspect it.
- He criticized Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Trump over a 60 Minutes suit he says company lawyers deemed meritless, calling the payment damaging and suggestive of favor-seeking.
- CBS has maintained the cancellation was purely a financial move in a tough late-night market and unrelated to performance or content.
- The settlement and cancellation coincided with Paramount’s Skydance merger process, which later received FCC approval, fueling outside scrutiny of the timing.
- Colbert said he learned of the decision from his manager, described being surprised despite a strong relationship with CBS, and plans to finish the show through May 2026 with a goal to “land this plane gracefully.”