Is Colbert’s Ouster Really Just a ‘Financial Decision’?
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CBS Cancels Colbert's Late Show
Above: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Wednesday's June 25, 2025 show. Image copyright: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS/Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
CBS is showing corporate cowardice and disguising it as financial necessity. Colbert's show has dominated ratings, yet CBS axed it days after he ridiculed the company's $16 million Trump payoff. This isn't about money — it's about silencing the most effective Trump critic on network television to appease a vindictive president who controls merger approvals.
Republican narrative
Late-night programming no longer generates sufficient profit margins for broadcast networks, so CBS has made a sound business decision. The network properly prioritized financial stability over political theater, which too often involved a biased Colbert lecturing his audience. Democratic accusations that this was a political move are just more products of Trump derangement syndrome.