Colbert jokes about ‘cancel culture’ and has a very pointed message for President Donald Trump
Jul 22, 2025, 8:05 AM
This image released by CBS shows Stephen Colbert during a taping of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Monday, July 21, 2025, in New York. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via AP)
Stephen Colbert returned for his first full program after last week’s announcement that CBS was canceling his 鈥淟ate Show鈥� with some supportive late-night guests, a joke about cancel culture and an extremely pointed remark directed at President Donald Trump.
鈥淚’m going to go ahead and say it: Cancel culture’s gone way too far,鈥� Colbert said to a rambunctious audience that loudly chanted his name.
CBS and parent Paramount Global said the decision to end the 鈥淟ate Show鈥� next May was purely financial. It hasn’t gone unnoticed 鈥� and was mentioned by Colbert Monday night 鈥� that the announcement came days after the comic had sharply criticized Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� interview.
Colbert, known for his sharp comic takedowns of the president, said that 鈥渙ver the weekend, it sunk in that they killed off our show. But they made one mistake. They left me alive.鈥�
Now, he said, 鈥淚 can say what I really think of Donald Trump, starting right now.鈥� As his audience cheered him on, Colbert said, 鈥淚 don’t care for him. Doesn’t seem to have the skill set to be president.鈥�
He read a passage from a saying that he loved that the 鈥渦ntalented鈥� Colbert had been fired.
鈥淗ow dare you, sir,鈥� Colbert said. 鈥淲ould an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?鈥� The show switched to a close-up camera where Colbert appeared to say, 鈥渇鈥�- you,鈥� the word bleeped out and his mouth blurred.
Noting CBS’ explanation for his firing, Colbert said, 鈥渉ow can it purely be a financial decision if the show is No. 1 in the ratings? It’s confusing. A lot of folks are asking that question, mainly my staff’s parents and spouses.鈥�
With some apparent irritation, he said some news stories over the weekend reported the apparently leaked information that 鈥淟ate Show鈥� was losing between $40 million and $50 million a year. Ad revenue for late-night entertainment broadcasts has shrunk sharply as the audience, particularly young men, turn to streaming or other priorities.
鈥淚 could see us losing $24 million,鈥� Colbert said. 鈥淏ut where would Paramount have ever spent the other $16 million? Oh, yeah.鈥�
Colbert introduced the odd duo of 鈥淲eird Al鈥� Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda to sing Coldplay’s 鈥淰iva La Vida.鈥� In a sly reference to the couple caught on camera last week at a Coldplay concert, 鈥淟ate Show鈥� cameras panned the audience to find some supportive friends 鈥� fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart and John Oliver, as well as Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.
Colbert turned serious 鈥� briefly 鈥� to address people who had expressed support for him since the announcement was made.
鈥淪ome people see this show going away as the sign of something truly dire. And while I’m a big fan of me, I don’t necessarily agree with that statement,鈥� he said, “because we here at the 鈥楲ate Show鈥� never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day, which I think is a worthy goal.
鈥淥r,鈥� he continued, 鈥渃hanging how you felt the next morning when you watched on your phone, which is why broadcast TV is dying.鈥�
___
David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and .
