Supporters of Stephen Colbert took to the streets of New York City following the cancellation of The Late Show. The demonstrators gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater and marched to Paramount’s Times Square headquarters.

Since then, Colbert has been ripping into Donald Trump with renewed relish, often while also flaying CBS and its parent company, Paramount. By doubling down on attacking his most powerful enemy, at a time when network execs are facing such intense scrutiny for what many believe was a politically motivated firing,

Paramount announced last week that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” would be ending in May 2026. While the company claimed the move was a purely “financial decision,” speculation has swirled over whether Colbert’s sharp criticism of Trump had anything to do with his ouster as Paramount looked to get its merger approved.

Kicking off Monday’s show with a joke about Trump wanting to change the name of the Washington Commanders NFL team (the “Washington Epsteins,” Colbert suggested), he walked into the Ed Sullivan Theater to loud cheers and said “This is going to be fun.” It certainly was.

Dokoupil broke with his co‑hosts on Tuesday to blame Colbert’s “one-sided” commentary for his own cancellation.

The CBS television network will end its top-rated late-night talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert in 2026, a move announced just days after the comedian criticized parent company Paramount over a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump.

Jon Stewart unloaded on Paramount over its decision to cancel Stephen Colbert's show and opined about the future of late night.

Whatever happened, fellow late-night comedian John Oliver finds the whole thing “incredibly sad.” Oliver commented on the cancellation while promoting the Erie Moon Mammoths, his rebrand for the minor league baseball team, the Erie SeaWolves.