President Donald Trump has been reveling in Paramount Global's (NASDAQ:PARA) (NASDAQ:PARAA) CBS's decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, calling the longtime host talentless and suggesting the move was long overdue.
What Happened: In a Truth Social post Friday, Trump wrote, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings."
He also took jabs at other late-night personalities, saying, "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined."
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Why It's Important: CBS announced Thursday that Colbert's Late Show would be ending after nearly a decade, calling it "purely a financial" decision. The network said it was not related to the show’s performance or content, citing admiration for Colbert's work.
However, the cancellation comes just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS parent company Paramount Global for paying Trump a $16 million legal settlement related to a 60 Minutes interview during the 2024 campaign.
"I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: It's ';big fat bribe,'" Colbert joked during Monday's monologue, reported The Hill.
Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), have called for transparency.
The timing of Colbert's exit has raised alarms about political influence in media decisions. With Paramount seeking approval from Trump's FCC for a merger with Skydance, critics fear the show's cancellation may be tied to appeasing the administration, the report said.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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