In what has become a predictable but still headline-grabbing pattern, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to take credit—while also oddly denying credit—for the abrupt end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. And if his tone is any indication, he isn’t finished lashing out at the late-night world.
On July 29, Trump fired off a post that both distanced himself from the show’s cancellation and basked in its downfall, continuing his years-long feud with Colbert, who has been one of his most vocal late-night critics. “Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true!” Trump wrote. “The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses — and it was only going to get WORSE!”
This declaration followed the July 17 announcement from Colbert himself, who revealed that The Late Show would end in May, marking the close of a run that spans over three decades. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, cited financial pressures and a shifting entertainment landscape as the primary reasons for shutting down the iconic show. According to insiders, despite consistently strong ratings in the 11:30 PM slot, the show was reportedly hemorrhaging up to $40 million annually. That financial burden became too much to bear in the lead-up to Paramount’s $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which recently received FCC approval.
Still, for Trump, the fall of Colbert’s show is personal.
The former Apprentice star, no stranger to trading jabs with television personalities, took particular satisfaction in Colbert’s departure. The day after the cancellation announcement, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.” For Trump, who has made late-night comedians frequent targets of his online rants, this felt like a victory lap.
But he didn’t stop at Colbert. Trump turned his ire toward other late-night hosts who have similarly made him the butt of recurring jokes. “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon. The only real question is, who will go first?” he wrote. “Show biz and television is a very simple business. If you get ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don’t, you always become a victim. Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow.”
This wasn’t the first time Trump foreshadowed the supposed downfall of Kimmel and Fallon. Just a week prior, he posted that Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon were “next to go,” though he offered no evidence or insider insight to back that claim. His comments seem to stem less from industry knowledge and more from personal vendettas against anyone in the media who mocks or criticizes him.
Despite Trump’s claims, both Kimmel and Fallon appear to have solid footing at their respective networks. Fallon, who took over The Tonight Show in 2014, is under contract with NBCUniversal through 2028. Meanwhile, Kimmel renewed his contract with ABC in 2022, extending his show through its 23rd season. That means, barring unforeseen developments, both comedians are staying put—for now.
Kimmel, never one to miss an opportunity for a clapback, didn’t waste time responding to Trump’s rant. He posted a screenshot of the former president’s Truth Social tirade on Instagram with the caption: “I know you’re busy Sharpie-ing the Epstein files, but this seems like a weird way to tell people to watch Matt Damon and Ken Jennings on an all-new Who Wants to Be a Millionaire tomorrow night at 8|7c on @ABC.”
The response was classic Kimmel—snarky, pointed, and politically loaded. His reference to the Epstein files was a jab at the ongoing public curiosity about connections between high-profile names and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a topic Trump has repeatedly avoided addressing publicly.
This feud isn’t new. All three late-night hosts—Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon—have spent years mocking Trump’s presidency, post-presidency, and legal entanglements. Colbert in particular made Trump the centerpiece of much of his monologue content, especially during the chaotic four years of the Trump administration. In fact, many TV critics credit Colbert’s anti-Trump material as a key factor in The Late Show surpassing Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show in ratings during the late 2010s.
For Trump, whose relationship with media has always been combative, it seems personal when anyone in the entertainment industry dares to criticize him—especially on such a public stage. That dynamic created a fertile environment for ongoing spats with the likes of Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon.
But despite Trump’s celebratory tone over Colbert’s exit, industry analysts say the move was more about cost-cutting than politics. Paramount Global has been working to trim expenses across its media properties in preparation for its Skydance merger, and late-night TV—once a guaranteed money-maker—has become increasingly expensive to produce without the lucrative ad revenue it once commanded.
That said, the optics of canceling a show with a host known for biting political satire and anti-Trump monologues, just weeks before a major corporate merger, gave the move an undeniably political undertone. Critics and celebrities alike quickly speculated that the decision might have been influenced by more than just financial concerns. For Trump’s followers, it became an instant “gotcha” moment to wave in the face of mainstream media.
Still, Colbert went out with a sense of grace, issuing a calm and appreciative message to his audience when announcing the show’s end. The comedian thanked his viewers for the years of support and reflected on the role late-night comedy plays in shaping political discourse and public opinion.
Trump, however, wasn’t about to let things end quietly. His pattern of weaponizing his social media platform to fire off insults at his perceived enemies has been well-documented. But what makes this moment particularly striking is how fervently he’s trying to spin Colbert’s exit into a personal triumph—even while denying that he caused it. His message essentially reads: “I didn’t get him fired, but I’m glad he’s gone. And you’re next, Kimmel and Fallon.”
Whether or not Colbert’s cancellation actually marks a seismic shift in late-night television remains to be seen. With increasing competition from streaming platforms, YouTube creators, and podcast personalities, traditional late-night shows have had to evolve to stay relevant. Some analysts argue that the genre’s golden age is over, while others believe it still has life left—just in new formats and with new faces.
For Trump, though, the issue is less about the direction of the medium and more about exacting vengeance on those he believes disrespected him. His glee over Colbert’s exit and his ominous predictions about Kimmel and Fallon suggest he sees their misfortunes as personal vindication.
And for viewers at home? It’s a messy, made-for-TV drama playing out on social media—with politics, pop culture, and personal grudges all swirling in the mix.
As Trump continues to toy with a 2024 presidential comeback and his legal issues remain under the microscope, one thing is certain: the war between Trump and late-night television is far from over. Whether it’s a stand-up monologue or a Truth Social post, the punches will keep flying.
For now, Colbert is preparing for his final months on The Late Show, and both Kimmel and Fallon remain securely on-air. But if Trump has his way—or at least his say—the late-night world should brace for more fireworks.
After all, in Trump’s mind, television is still his arena. And he always sees himself as the last man standing.