Overview
- Posting late on Dec. 24 and into Dec. 25, President Donald Trump called Stephen Colbert an “abject failure” and told CBS to “put him to sleep,” adding that it was “the most humane” option.
- Trump also asked which network has the “worst” late‑night host and again suggested revoking broadcast licenses for outlets he says cover him and Republicans too negatively.
- CBS announced in July that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, characterizing the decision as financial, the same month it agreed to pay Trump $16 million to resolve a legal dispute.
- Variety and other outlets reported the outburst may have followed a rerun featuring Colbert’s satire about Trump’s influence on the Kennedy Center, a link that has not been confirmed by the White House or CBS.
- The phrase “put him to sleep,” which Trump placed in quotation marks as “put him to sleep,” prompted debate over its meaning and renewed concern about presidential language directed at media figures.