President Donald Trump stated on Friday that extra late-night discuss exhibits will depart after he praised the tip of CBS’s “The Late Present with Stephen Colbert.”
Trump has repeatedly pressured the Federal Communications Fee to strip broadcast networks of their licenses, referred to as on Walt Disney to fireplace ABC late night time host Jimmy Kimmel and urged Comcast’s NBC to fireplace host Seth Meyers.
“Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Starting of the Finish’ for untalented, nasty, extremely overpaid, not humorous, and really poorly rated Late Night time Tv Hosts,” Trump wrote on Fact Social. “Others, of even much less expertise, to quickly observe. Could all of them relaxation in peace!”
Colbert hosted what has been the top-rated Late Present for 11 seasons. CBS final 12 months stated it was canceling the “Late Present,” citing monetary causes. Late-night tv, an American custom because the Nineteen Fifties, has been shedding viewership and promoting {dollars} for years.
NBC, CBS and ABC didn’t instantly touch upon Friday.
CBS introduced in July that it was canceling Colbert’s present simply days after the corporate’s dad or mum agreed to settle a lawsuit Trump filed towards the corporate for $16 million over the enhancing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Days after that, the FCC accredited Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance.
The choice to finish the top-rated late-night discuss present sparked an outcry, nonetheless, from Democrats and different critics who famous that Paramount was searching for approval for its merger with Skydance on the time of the cancellation. Many critics recommended it was carried out to curry favor with the administration and noticed it as a transfer to silence political satire in violation of the First Modification’s free speech safety.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez stated on Wednesday that Trump has been vocal about making an attempt to get programming he dislikes off the air.
“This administration can not tolerate any critics, whether or not it is late-night comedies, whether or not it is ‘The View’,” Gomez stated. “They’re utilizing each regulatory lever of their arsenal to go after content material.”
The FCC is investigating whether or not ABC’s “The View” violated equal time guidelines for an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico of Texas. CBS in February barred Colbert from airing an interview with Talarico, citing an FCC order in January.
“Donald Trump’s administration desires to silence anybody who says something dangerous about Trump on TV, as a result of all Trump does is watch TV,” Colbert stated on the time.
Final month, Trump cited a joke from Kimmel as grounds for his dismissal, which Disney declined to do. A day later, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered a extremely uncommon early license assessment of the corporate’s eight ABC tv stations. Disney should file its license renewal purposes by Could 28.
In September 2025, Carr pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air. ABC briefly suspended Kimmel’s present over feedback he made concerning the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Carr’s efforts drew sharp criticism from throughout the political spectrum.
Carr denied Colbert was pressured off the air by authorities stress. “He is simply not as well-liked or as humorous as he as soon as was, if he ever was,” Carr informed Reuters in March.
When Trump referred to as for NBC’s Meyers to be fired in November, Carr reposted it on X.