President Donald Trump reacted to CBS’ surprising move to cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, hinting that other late-night hosts might face the same fate, particularly his frequent adversary, Jimmy Kimmel.
“I thoroughly enjoy that Colbert got axed. His talent was even lower than his ratings,” Trump posted on Truth Social, according to Variety. “I’ve heard Jimmy Kimmel might be next. He’s even less talented than Colbert!”
Kimmel and Trump have been at odds for years. Trump not only criticized Kimmel’s performance as Oscars host in 2024 but also has been frequently targeted by Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where the host has regularly denounced Trump’s political actions in recent months. Kimmel was visibly emotional after Trump’s 2024 presidential victory, describing it as a “terrible night” for democracy and mentioning he’s on Trump’s “enemies list.”
Trump also took a shot at Jimmy Fallon while praising Fox News late night host Greg Gutfield.
“Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show,” he wrote.
CBS announced it made the “financial decision” to cancel The Late Show in a press release shared Thursday (July 17). The show is set to end in May 2026.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television,” the statement reads, per The Hollywood Reporter. “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
The decision comes just days after Colbert criticized CBS’ parent company for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Trump after Trump accused 60 Minutes of editing an interview with Kamala Harris to mislead voters during the presidential election. Paramount is currently in the middle of a merger with Skydance Media that will require approval from Trump’s administration.
“I don’t know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company,” Colbert said on The Late Show earlier this week. “But, just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.”
Kimmel wasted no time in speaking out in support of Colbert. “Love you Stephen. Fuck you and all your Sheldons CBS,” he wrote on Instagram.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on ABC.
