Colbert Jabs at Trump, CBS in Farewell Monologue as “The Late Show” Nears End
stephen Colbert kicked off his final weeks of “The Late Show” with a characteristic blend of political satire and self-deprecating humor, addressing the impending end of his CBS program. The comedian opened Monday’s show with a jab at former president Donald Trump‘s reported desire to rename the Washington Commanders NFL team, humorously suggesting “Washington Epsteins” before taking the stage to a standing ovation.
Colbert, whose show is slated to conclude in May, leaned into the “cancel culture” narrative with a series of jokes. He quipped about receiving an offer for a high-paying, part-time IT job, humorously stating his intention to send his routing number in May, as “Daddy needs a job.” He also addressed CBS’s decision to end “The Late Show,” acknowledging the network’s role in “killing” his program but asserting that they “left me alive.” This, he declared, meant the remaining months would be spent speaking “unvarnished truth to power” and expressing his candid opinions about Donald Trump, whom he characterized as lacking the necessary skillset for the presidency.
The comedian also touched upon the timing of the cancellation, which followed closely after his on-air commentary labeling CBS’s settlement of a lawsuit with President Trump as a “big fat bribe.” Colbert playfully suggested that his decision to sport a mustache in a previous monologue might have been the true catalyst for his show’s demise, coining the term “stashism” as a worse fate than fascism. He further speculated that CBS might repurpose the Ed Sullivan Theater,where “The Beatles performed,” into a self-storage facility.
Despite the jokes, Colbert expressed gratitude for CBS’s partnership and acknowledged the “very nice things” the network stated in its press release announcing the show’s cancellation. he questioned the purely financial justification for ending the program, especially given its number-one ratings, a sentiment he attributed to his staff’s parents and spouses.
Colbert also addressed an anonymous leak from CBS that reportedly cited annual losses of $40 million to $50 million for “The Late Show.” He acknowledged the substantial figure, humorously questioning where the remaining $16 million beyond a potential $24 million loss might have been spent, subtly alluding to the aforementioned settlement.
