Trump Celebrates Stephen Colbert’s “Dismissal”: “Jimmy Kimmel is Next”
According to cinemadrame news agency, US President Donald Trump expressed satisfaction with the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS and stated his hope that Jimmy Kimmel would be “fired” next.
CBS announced last Thursday that Colbert’s show would end in 2026 due to financial reasons. A few days prior, Colbert had criticized Paramount Global’s settlement with Donald Trump, calling the $16 million payment to the former president to secure approval for its merger with Skydance a “big, fat bribe.” Trump had accused CBS’s “60 Minutes” program of editing an interview with Kamala Harris to aid her in the election.
In the early hours of Friday, Washington time, the US President took to his social media platform Truth Social, writing: “So glad Colbert got fired. His talent was even lower than his viewership. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. He’s even less talented than Colbert!”
Trump then praised Fox News comedian Greg Gutfeld and said of Jimmy Fallon: “Better than all of them combined, including the fool on NBC who ruined the formerly great ‘Tonight Show’.”
Colbert had commented on the Paramount-Trump settlement a few days earlier: “As someone who has always been proud to be an employee of this network, I found this action insulting, and I don’t know if it’s possible to restore my trust in this company. And remember, Paramount made ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’.”
The cancellation of Colbert’s show has drawn criticism from many comedians, including Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and several political figures, including Senator Elizabeth Warren. Warren tweeted on Thursday night: “The American people deserve to know if this show was canceled for political reasons.”
Kimmel wrote on Instagram: “We love you Stephen.” And addressing CBS: “F*** you and all your Sheldons.” The comedian had previously told Variety that he was concerned Trump would impede comedians’ activities: “You’d be naive not to be a little concerned. But that shouldn’t affect you.”
Ben Stiller wrote: “Sorry to hear CBS canceled one of the best shows out there. Wishing the best to all who worked on it.”
Jon Stewart, another comedian who has criticized Trump for years, responded to a listener’s question on Thursday night’s episode of “The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart” about whether Skydance would cancel “The Daily Show” after decades.
Stewart replied: “Unfortunately, we haven’t heard from them. They haven’t called me to say: ‘Don’t get too comfortable in that office, Stewart.’ But let me tell you, I’ve been kicked out of more ridiculous establishments. We’ll stand tall. Honestly, I don’t know.” He added that Comedy Central without “The Daily Show” would be like Muzak.
