CBS late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert expressed strong support on Thursday for his fellow host Jimmy Kimmel, after Kimmel’s show was removed from the ABC schedule this week due to remarks he made about the Charlie Kirk assassination.

During the filming of his show, Colbert accused the Trump administration of being behind Kimmel’s cancellation, labeling the president as “an autocrat,” according to reports that surfaced prior to the Thursday night airing of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

“Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100%” said Colbert, who dedicated Thursday’s program to free speech.

Colbert is also perceived by some as being affected by the Trump administration. This summer, CBS announced the termination of “The Late Show” scheduled for May 2026, citing the high costs of producing the show in New York. This announcement coincided with CBS owner Paramount’s quest for federal approval of a merger with Skydance Media. Critics speculated that this decision was less about financial prudence and more about appeasing Trump, who has frequently been the subject of late-night jabs.

Kimmel’s show’s cancellation occurred on Wednesday following FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s dissatisfaction with Kimmel’s Monday comments, where he claimed Trump’s supporters were exploiting Kirk’s death for political gain. Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and Trump supporter, was murdered on September 10 at a university in Utah.

Kimmel said Trump supporters were “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Nexstar, owner of , said it would preempt Kimmel’s show on its ABC affiliates; then, the network itself said the show was being pulled indefinitely.

David Letterman also not amused at Kimmel cancelation

David Letterman, a seasoned figure in late-night television, expressed concern about what Kimmel’s show’s cancellation means for the future of media. He noted that during his career, he never faced such scrutiny from the FCC while humorously addressing various administrations.

“The institution of the president of the United States ought to be bigger than a guy doing a talk show,” Letterman said.

Letterman said he had been in contact with Kimmel, who is doing “fine.”