Trump insults – About an hour after Stephen Colbert’s final “The Late Show” aired on May 21, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to insult the host—writing that he had “no talent, no ratings, no life” and adding that the exit was “thank goodness he’s finally gone.” Th
When Stephen Colbert’s final episode of “The Late Show” ended on May 21, the studio moment—jubilant onstage with Paul McCartney and former band leader Jon Batiste—didn’t last long in the political media cycle.
At 1:52 a.m. about an hour after the CBS series concluded. President Donald Trump fired off a post on Truth Social that turned the farewell into a takedown. “Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long!. No talent, no ratings, no life,” Trump wrote. He continued: “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 show’s finale featured Colbert jamming onstage with McCartney and Batiste, at CBS’s famed Ed Sullivan Theater. McCartney was the final guest on the program. From the studio audience, all-star guests such as Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd and Bryan Cranston vied for the chance to be named “last guest.”
Trump had been leaning toward a delayed crack at Colbert even before the final night. On May 20, a reporter asked Trump from the tarmac of Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews what message he had for Colbert ahead of the May 21 finale. Trump replied, “I’ll have a message at a later date.”
Colbert, meanwhile, had signaled he expected the president’s attention. On May 19, Colbert told People that the idea of criticizing late-night comics was still surprising. “We’re clowns,” Colbert said of late-night hosts. “How much does it diminish the office of the Presidency to even notice what we say?”.
The last episode and Trump’s response landed on top of a longer feud between the president and late-night TV. Over the past year. Trump and Colbert traded public insults. and the clash intensified after Paramount Global—CBS’s parent company—agreed to a controversial $16 million settlement with Trump in July. The settlement followed a defamation lawsuit tied to a “60 Minutes” interview involving Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Colbert denounced that deal on-air on July 14, calling the $16 million payment a “big fat bribe” during a scathing opening monologue. Three days later, on July 17, Colbert announced that CBS would end “The Late Show” after the 2025–26 season. Trump celebrated the decision the next day.
On July 18, Trump posted on Truth Social that he “absolutely love[d] that Colbert got fired.” He wrote: “His talent was even less than his ratings,” and then turned his attention to fellow late-night host ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, adding, “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert.”
The insults didn’t wait for the final episode. On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, Trump posted another attack in the early hours after CBS followed the Trump-hosted “The Kennedy Center Honors” broadcast with a Dec. 8 rerun episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
At 12:16 a.m. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck. with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. ” adding. “Now. after being terminated by CBS. but left out to dry. he has actually gotten worse. along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking!. CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!”.
The timing of Trump’s latest post made the pattern unavoidable: as Colbert’s final show wrapped at the Ed Sullivan Theater. the president used social media less to mark a cultural moment and more to settle the score—turning the end of a long-running late-night platform into another public fight over talent. ratings. and respect for the office.
Colbert’s farewell episode has now concluded, and Trump’s comments—delivered just 1:52 a.m. on May 21—leave little doubt about where he landed on the final bow.
Donald Trump Stephen Colbert The Late Show Truth Social CBS Paramount Global Ed Sullivan Theater Paul McCartney Jon Batiste Ryan Reynolds Paul Rudd Bryan Cranston Jimmy Kimmel defamation settlement 60 Minutes Kamala Harris