Bruce Springsteen slams Trump after Colbert ‘Late Show’ axed

Springsteen condemns – Bruce Springsteen used Stephen Colbert’s final week of “The Late Show” to attack the Trump administration over the program’s cancellation, calling out what he described as a president who “can’t take a joke” and alleging powerful figures are “kissing his” to g

When Stephen Colbert sat down to sign off for good, Bruce Springsteen walked onstage to perform “Streets of Minneapolis” — and to turn the moment into a direct rebuke of the political forces he believes played a role in ending “The Late Show.”

Springsteen. 76. appeared on “The Late Show” on May 20 and delivered the protest song he released in January in response to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. Before he launched into the track. he criticized the decision to cancel Colbert’s program. which will air its series finale on Thursday. May 21.

“I am here in support tonight for Stephen because you’re the first guy in America who lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen said. “And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his a– to get what they want.”

He continued: “Stephen, these are small-minded people who got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.”

The cancellation has put late-night’s shared national ritual in the spotlight. at a time when questions about media consolidation and political influence have grown louder. Paramount previously characterized the move as strictly financial. describing the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. ” and saying it was “not related in any way to the show’s performance. content. or other matters happening at Paramount.”.

But critics have pointed to timing and deals involving the company behind Colbert’s show. The end of “The Late Show” came as Paramount Global and Skydance — through a merger that required Trump administration approval — moved through a process critics linked to broader political appeasement concerns. David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, is the founder of Skydance. The merger has since been completed, and David Ellison now serves as CEO of Paramount Skydance.

Colbert’s own sharp comments about his parent company’s handling of politics preceded the cancellation. The decision also followed closely on Colbert’s criticism of Paramount for a $16 million settlement with Trump over a defamation lawsuit tied to a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Colbert described the settlement on his show as a “big fat bribe,” days before the cancellation was announced.

In the interviews leading up to his final week, Colbert tried to leave matters on good terms with CBS. He declined to directly say whether he believes the cancellation was for reasons beyond finances. Even so, he acknowledged why viewers might see something else going on. “But I also completely understand why people would say (A) that doesn’t make sense to me and (B) that seems fishy to me. because the network did it to themselves by bending the knee to the Trump administration over a $20 billion. settled for $16 million. completely frivolous lawsuit. ” he said.

Colbert also framed the situation in broader terms in remarks to The Hollywood Reporter. “I would also say — and this is what feels most true to me — that two things can be true. It can be that the broadcast model is collapsing. and. while we’re at it. as long as we’re collapsing here. what if we shove this one out a window first?. I mean, this lamb’s got a very cuttable throat.”.

That tension—between a financial explanation and a cultural/political reading—has been central to the story of the cancellation itself. It has also been met with celebratory remarks from Trump. After the decision, Trump posted on Truth Social in July: “I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”.

Earlier in Colbert’s penultimate episode, the show offered a different kind of farewell. Colbert devoted much of the segment to his “Colbert Questionert,” a set of questions he has asked guests for years. A long list of stars stopped by. one after another. each asking Colbert a single question: Billy Crystal. “Weird Al” Yankovic. Josh Brolin. Martha Stewart. Mark Hamill. Jim Gaffigan. Jeff Daniels. Tiffany Haddish. Amy Sedaris. Ben Stiller. Aubrey Plaza. James Taylor. Robert De Niro. John Dickerson. and Colbert’s wife. Evie.

The final question was to “describe the rest of your life in five words.” Colbert answered: “my family, my friends, fun.”

By the time Springsteen took the stage on May 20, that ceremonial rhythm had given way to anger—focused on a cancellation Colbert spent weeks trying to understand without drawing a definitive line beyond finances. For Springsteen, the line was clear, and it ran straight through the White House.

The series finale of “The Late Show” will air on May 21 on CBS. No guests for the final episode have been announced.

Bruce Springsteen Stephen Colbert The Late Show Paramount Skydance David Ellison Larry Ellison Trump Truth Social late night television CBS defamation settlement 60 Minutes Kamala Harris immigration enforcement Minnesota Alex Pretti Renee Good