unilad homepage
unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Music
  • Technology
  • Film and TV
    • News
    • DC Comics
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Netflix
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Donald Trump takes brutal swipe at Stephen Colbert after Late Show finale with controversial 'dead person' comment
Home>News>US News
Updated 15:22 22 May 2026 GMT+1Published 09:55 22 May 2026 GMT+1

Donald Trump takes brutal swipe at Stephen Colbert after Late Show finale with controversial 'dead person' comment

CBS announced that the top-rated late-night show would be coming to an end last July

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Topics: Donald Trump, Truth Social, Film and TV, US News

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social in the early hours to take a brutal swipe at Stephen Colbert after the conclusion of The Late Show.

The much-loved talk show came to an end this week after 33 years on air, with Colbert fronting it for over a decade. David Letterman, the presenter's predecessor, created the TV show back in 1993.

The likes of Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, and Ryan Reynolds appeared in the finale, which began with Colbert telling the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater and those watching at home that it would be a 'regular' show.

"At first, when we knew this was gonna be our last night, we were planning on doing a huge special this evening," he said.

Advert

"But the thing is, we like to think every episode of The Late Show is kind of special."

Trump has taken a brutal swipe at Colbert (Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump has taken a brutal swipe at Colbert (Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images)

Prior to the airing of the final Late Show, Trump was asked about his thoughts and the president issued an ominous statement.

"I'll have a message at a later date," he said.

Well, that later date was just hours later after the POTUS took to his much-used Truth Social account to make a controversial 'dead person' comment.

Trump penned: "Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. 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!"

Why was The Late Show with Stephen Colbert canceled?

CBS announced that The Late Show would be coming to an end last July in what it said was purely a 'financial decision'.

The network, and parent company Paramount, said in a statement: "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season.

"We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time."

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has come to an end (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has come to an end (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)

It continued: "This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."

However, news of the cancellation came just days after Colbert slammed Paramount for reaching a $16 million settlement with Trump over allegations that 60 Minutes, produced by the network, falsely edited a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris before the presidential election. Trump initially wanted $10 billion in damages over what he called 'fake' reporting.

After it was announced that Colbert's top-rated late-night show would be canceled, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings."

However, Colbert was quick to hit back during one of his monologues, telling the US leader: "Go f**k yourself."

Choose your content:

29 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Getty Stock Image
    29 mins ago

    Expert explains why people shouldn't sleep with a fan on during a heatwave

    Boston recently hit record-breaking temperatures of 96°F, while parts of Washington peaked at 94°F

    News
  • Getty Stock Image
    an hour ago

    Effects of ‘Godzilla’ weight loss drug explained and when it could hit the market

    The drug is currently not available outside of clinical trials, but studies have shown surprising weight loss results

    News
  • Getty Stock Image
    an hour ago

    Common lung condition may also be a sign of three other significant illnesses

    People living with an extremely common breathing issue are more likely to develop serious health problems, a study found

    News
  • Getty Stock
    2 hours ago

    Woman discovered she had 'killer cancer' after dismissing 'unbearable' itch for years

    Lorna Riley thinks she may have avoided her cancer diagnosis had her skin condition been found sooner

    News
  • Trump calls for 'demonic' Barack Obama to be 'imprisoned' in bizarre late-night rant
  • Bruce Springsteen hits out at Trump and MAGA supporters during Stephen Colbert's second-to-last show
  • Stephen Colbert addresses Late Show axe with standing ovation at 2025 Emmys
  • Trump speaks out on ICE facility shooting that left multiple people dead after FBI revealed message on bullets