After Stephen Colbert delivered an emotional farewell on the final episode of The Late Show Thursday night, U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to bitterly attack one of his most persistent late-night critics.
Trump's Scathing Message
“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life,” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Friday. “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!”
The president's outburst followed Colbert's final show, which featured a comedic bit with actors Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, and Ryan Reynolds, as well as a musical performance by Paul McCartney.
A Long-Standing Feud
Colbert had been one of Trump's most vocal detractors. Last summer, during a segment, he criticized a deal between Trump and Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris that was allegedly deceptively edited. Colbert called the $16 million settlement a “big fat bribe.”
The Late Show was canceled shortly after, with CBS citing budgetary constraints and reports that the program was losing $40 million annually. Trump mocked Colbert at the time, writing, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired.”
The war of words continued over the following months. On Christmas Eve, Trump posted: “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck... He is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW.”
Trump's Promise of an Insult
Trump had hinted he would have a final message for Colbert. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said, “I’ll have a message at a later date.” Colbert, anticipating the attack, told People magazine that he found it strange Trump would focus on late-night hosts. “We’re clowns,” Colbert said. “How much does it diminish the office of the presidency to even notice what we say?”
The Final Episode
In his last show, Colbert kept things light, riffing on the world's largest Dr Pepper bottle and a lawsuit over A Charlie Brown Christmas music. During a chat with McCartney, Colbert took a subtle swipe at Trump, joking about orange makeup. McCartney reminisced about The Beatles' 1964 debut at the Ed Sullivan Theater, and Colbert quipped, “That’s very popular in certain circles these days.”
The show ended with Colbert and McCartney performing The Beatles' “Hello, Goodbye,” a fitting send-off for the host who often used music to close his program.
