Overview
- CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will conclude in May 2026, citing financial challenges as the reason for ending its highest-rated late-night program.
- The cancellation followed Colbert’s on-air denunciation of Paramount Global’s $16 million payment to President Trump to resolve litigation and secure merger approval.
- President Trump celebrated the network’s move on social media, praising the removal of one of his most vocal critics.
- Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff have formally requested transparency into the motives behind CBS’s decision and urged a comprehensive review.
- The Writers Guild of America has appealed for a New York investigation into whether the payment amounted to a bribe, and Colbert along with fellow late-night hosts vow to use his final season to uphold free satire.