A message condemning Donald Trump and CBS was chalked on the street outside the Ed Sullivan Theater ahead of the final episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday.
Chalk Message Appears
Footage shared on X by CBC News reporter Steve Futterman showed the message written in bright chalk outside the New York venue where the show was taped. “Thank you Stephen,” was scrawled in yellow, alongside a heart. Beneath it, in white, read: “And fuck you CBS and Donald Trump.”
Futterman noted that “someone was told to remove it,” and later shared a follow-up clip showing the message being washed away.
Fan Protests
It’s unclear who was behind the protest. Some fans of the show were also pictured holding anti-Trump and pro-Colbert signs outside the theater. A person holds a sign following the taping of the final episode after 32 years on air at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Thursday.
Reasons for Cancellation
The message and the signs reflected the anger over CBS’ decision, first announced last year, to nix the show, which the network said was for “financial” reasons. Critics, however, suggested the cancellation of Trump critic Colbert was to appease the White House in order to gain FCC approval for parent company Paramount’s merger with Skydance, which has since gone ahead.
