Stephen Colbert signed off Thursday for his final episode of “The Late Show.” President Donald Trump couldn’t be happier.
In a nearly 2 a.m. ET Truth Social post, the president celebrated the comedian’s late night demise, writing that it was “amazing that he lasted so long!”
“No talent, no ratings, no life,” Trump wrote. “He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
“Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Beginning of the End’ for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts,” he then added early Friday morning. “Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace!”
The president’s comments, as is often the case, were not necessarily true. Colbert ended his 11-year run hosting “The Late Show” on Thursday as the yearslong leader in late-night ratings. His extended final episode featured a bevy of celebrity cameos congratulating him on his run, including appearances from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and a tip of the hat to the Ed Sullivan Theater’s history with a performance by Paul McCartney.
Not mentioned: Trump’s name. Instead, Colbert substituted anger for appreciation for the show’s millions of viewers.
“This show has been a joy for us to do for you,” he said. “In fact, we call this show the joy machine because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn’t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.”
CBS canceled Colbert’s show last year, days after the host called parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement a “big fat bribe” to get federal approval for its merger with David Ellison’s Skydance. While CBS claimed the decision was strictly on financial grounds, the move was roundly criticized as another example of the network’s capitulation toward the president.
Trump celebrated Colbert’s firing last year, and he has since used his presidential perch to call for the firings of late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and even Jimmy Fallon as well.
