Trump hits out at ‘dead man walking’ Stephen Colbert in late-night blast
US president calls on CBS to ‘put to sleep’ Stephen Colbert’s show now, before its scheduled end in May 2026
Just before Christmas, US President Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh blast of vitriol at late-night comedy talk shows, saying comedian Stephen Colbert is a “pathetic train wreck” who should be “put to sleep”.
Colbert’s The Late Show is scheduled to end in May 2026, a decision his fans say smacks of censorship.
In a late-night social media post, Trump said that Colbert “has actually gotten worse” since being “terminated by CBS, but left out to dry”.
“Stephen is running on hatred and fumes – A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW,” Trump said.
Colbert has hosted The Late Show since 2015 and it has been the highest-rated late-night talk show on US television. His opening monologues often take aim at the Republican president.
There was no immediate public response from Colbert or CBS to Trump’s post.