Stephen Colbert isn’t going quietly.
On Monday night (July 21), the Late Show host directly addressed Donald Trump’s online mockery of the show’s cancellation. He made it clear: the gloves are off.

Colbert Responds: “Go F*** Yourself”
Returning to air for the first time since CBS announced The Late Show would end in 2026, Colbert wasted no time confronting Trump’s Truth Social post.
Trump had celebrated the show’s end, writing:

“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”

Colbert, staring straight into what he dubbed the “Eloquence Cam,” shot back with a three-word message:

“Go f*** yourself.”

Defending Jimmy Kimmel
Trump didn’t stop with Colbert. He also attacked fellow host Jimmy Kimmel, calling him “next” and claiming he had “even less talent.”

Colbert jumped to Kimmel’s defense with biting satire:

“Nope. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I’m the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross—and the view is fantastic. I can see your house!”

Cancellation Sparks Controversy
CBS blamed the show’s upcoming end on “financial decisions,” citing high production costs and falling ad revenue. But insiders aren’t buying it.

Critics point to CBS’s parent company, Paramount, and its $8.4 billion planned merger with Skydance—backed by pro-Trump billionaire Larry Ellison—as a key factor.
Sources told The Independent the cancellation may be part of a broader “Trump shakedown,” linked to a $16 million lawsuit settlement over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.

Colbert didn’t hold back:

“It’s a big fat bribe. My dream was always to have a sitting president root for my unemployment.”

Colbert Mocks CBS’s Explanation
Colbert laughed off CBS’s claim that the show lost up to $50 million last year:

“I can account for $24 million. Where did the other $16 million go? Oh yeah.”

He also joked that his bold moustache might’ve triggered the network:

“They saw my upper lip and boom—canceled. Coincidence? I think not. This is worse than fascism. This is stachism.”

Promises to Speak Freely Until the End
Colbert made a promise:

“If CBS is kil*ing off the show while I’m still standing, I’ll keep speaking unvarnished truth to power.”

Jon Stewart Joins the Fig.ht
Jon Stewart also slammed the network. On The Daily Show, he accused Paramount of trying to “censor and control” Colbert’s team for political reasons:

“Was this purely financial? Or just the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger?”

He warned that playing it safe to avoid Trump’s wrath would backfire:

“If you think you can make yourself so bland you’ll never be targeted again—you’re wrong.”

The audience responded with a resounding chant:

“Go f*** yourselves!”—aimed squarely at networks that cave to political pressure.