Longtime reporter Bill Carter has claimed that President Donald Trump was actively involved in the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show, citing Trump’s reaction to the series finale as evidence. Speaking on MS Now’s “The Weekend,” Carter expressed concern over the implications for the country. He pointed to an AI-generated video on Trump’s official X account that depicted Trump throwing Colbert into a dumpster during his show, followed by a dance to “Y.M.C.A.”
The cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which aired its series finale on May 21, has sparked controversy. Carter, who authored “The Late Shift” about the rivalry between David Letterman and Jay Leno, believes Trump’s ongoing conflict with Colbert influenced the show’s end.
A key concern voiced by Carter centers around the government’s alleged effort to silence a critic, which he argues contradicts American values. He emphasized that shutting down dissenting voices is not a practice aligned with the nation’s principles and requires continuous attention.
President Trump shared the AI-generated video celebrating Colbert’s departure from late-night television. Carter accused CBS of submitting to the Trump administration’s pressure, doubting the network’s official rationale of financial considerations for the show’s cancellation. He referenced a lawsuit filed by Trump against “60 Minutes” as a sign of CBS’s compromised journalistic stance.
CBS had announced the cancellation last summer, citing financial losses exceeding $40 million annually, a claim Colbert contested. Throughout the final years of his show, Colbert often criticized Trump. Research from the Media Research Center documented 3,639 jokes targeting Trump from January 2023 until the show’s conclusion.
Fox News Digital sought comment from the White House regarding Carter’s accusation of Trump’s involvement in Colbert’s show’s cancellation. The show’s ending was a culmination of ongoing political tension.
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