Host Criticizes CBS for 'Bribing' Trump; Iconic 'Late Show' to End

Central News Agency, New York, May 21. Due to CBS's attempts to appease U.S. President Trump, the network decided last year to cancel the 33-year-old talk show 'The Late Show,' citing financial considerations. Host Stephen Colbert will host his final episode tonight. According to AFP, the iconic U.S. talk show 'The Late Show' began airing in 1993, originally hosted by David Letterman, and was taken over by Stephen Colbert in 2015. Over the past few weeks, 62-year-old Colbert has appeared downcast at times, lacking his usual cheerful demeanor. In an interview with People magazine, Colbert said, 'From now on, I can finally speak the truth to those in power without reservation and say what I really think about Trump. I'm not worried at all that the government will take any action against me. I mean, how ridiculous would that be?' As of this morning, the identity of the guest for the final episode remains a closely guarded secret. On the second-to-last night of the show, legendary rock star Bruce Springsteen performed the anti-Trump protest song 'Streets of Minneapolis' and blasted Trump. He told Colbert, 'You are the first person in America to lose a show because our president can't take a joke.' Colbert first rose to fame on 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' by playing a 'fictional version of himself,' perfectly embodying an arrogant conservative pundit beloved by Fox News viewers but mocked by the left. Later, he took over as host of CBS's flagship late-night show, 'The Late Show,' reaching the pinnacle of American late-night television, where he shed his original persona and began speaking his true thoughts. The entire controversy stems from the 2024 U.S. presidential election, when CBS interviewed both Trump and Kamala Harris. Trump believed CBS intentionally edited the footage to make Harris's answers flow more smoothly and filed a lawsuit against the network. After Trump won the election, CBS's parent company, Paramount, settled with Trump for $16 million the following year. At the time, Paramount was in the midst of an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, and Colbert accused this of being a 'huge bribe' paid by CBS. Subsequently, CBS announced that it would cancel the top-rated 'The Late Show' in May 2026, citing financial reasons. CBS emphasized that the cancellation was purely for financial reasons and had nothing to do with the Paramount merger.