Stephen Colbert ends 'The Late Show' run after years of Trump attacks

Stephen Colbert closes out his run as host of "The Late Show" on CBS on Thursday night after a final year marked by repeated attacks on President Donald Trump.

Colbert took over the program in 2015 after David Letterman stepped down. He turned the show into a platform for liberal commentary, using monologue after monologue to criticize Trump and promote Democratic positions.

CBS announced in July 2025 that it would cancel the show. Colbert responded by saying the gloves were off for his remaining months on air.

After Trump commented on the cancellation, Colbert replied on the show with an expletive directed at the president.

The program featured frequent appearances by liberal figures. MSNBC hosts Jen Psaki, Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow appeared, along with CNN anchors Jake Tapper, Kaitlan Collins and Anderson Cooper. Other late-night hosts including Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver and Seth Meyers also visited.

Former President Barack Obama appeared earlier this month and suggested Colbert would make a better president than Trump.

A long list of Democratic politicians paid tribute during the final months. They included Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Jon Ossoff, Sen. Mark Kelly, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Adam Schiff, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Jim Clyburn, Rep. Ruben Gallego, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, former first lady Michelle Obama and former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Actors Mark Ruffalo and Jane Fonda also appeared, as did Bette Midler, who performed a parody song attacking Trump.

Variety correspondent Daniel D’Addario wrote that the final months of the show had become an extended tribute to Colbert himself. He said the focus on the host’s departure had grown outsized given other events in the world.

In February, Colbert claimed CBS blocked a television interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico over equal-time rules and aired it only on YouTube. CBS denied the claim. The New York Times later reported that Talarico had known in advance the interview would run online. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the episode appeared to be a hoax aimed at raising money and attention.

Colbert repeatedly criticized CBS for settling a lawsuit with Trump for at least $16 million, a figure that could reach more than $30 million. He called the payment a "big fat bribe" tied to the company’s effort to win approval for its sale to Skydance Media.

CBS announced in May 2026 that the final episode would air that month and said the cancellation was a financial decision. The FCC approved the Skydance acquisition shortly afterward. Colbert continued to fault CBS management on air.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Colbert said the cancellation reinforced a perception that CBS had bent to pressure from Trump.

David Letterman returned for a final appearance and smashed a CBS logo by throwing furniture from the building. As he left, Letterman told viewers he had a message for CBS: "In the words of the great Ed Murrow, good night and good luck, motherf------!"

D’Addario wrote that while Colbert deserved better treatment from CBS, the extended celebration did not strengthen the case for the show’s relevance.