CBS Cancels Colbert—and the Left Can’t Handle It

CBS has announced the end of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show as of May 2026.  This is not exactly abrupt.  The reaction has been predictable and a sign of how pitiful and ridiculous self-absorbed, entitled liberals can be.  Having read the Bible, I can attest that there is no God given right for Mr. Colbert to have his program on the air.

Senators Schiff (D-CA) and Warren (D-MA) are “demanding” that CBS tell the public if this decision to cancel the program was politically motivated.  They argue the public “deserves to know and deserves better.”  Many of us are motivated to roll our eyes and say, “Get over yourselves.” 

What seems to be the problem, officer?  Well, Colbert had loudly criticized the decision by CBS to settle the lawsuit brought by President Trump concerning their 60 Minutes segment from last year, which involved an interview with then-Vice President Harris.  The network had teased the interview the morning the 60 Minutes piece was to air.  The tease had the Vice President engaging in her verbal hobby of delivering a word salad.  Presto, by the time the segment aired, it had been edited to the point she sounded semi-intelligent.

In the face of this, President Trump sued.  CBS’ parent, Paramount, settled the case with a $16 million payout.  Critics argued that the virtue and honor of CBS had been sacrificed to avoid problems concerning Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance Media.  Oh, the horror.

First, 60 Minutes was allowed by CBS to have one of its on-air talents trash the settlement inside the program itself.  That would seem to indicate a pretty thick skin.  To be fair, one producer showed a semblance of principle and quit.

Meanwhile, over at the entertainment department, Stephen Colbert made known his displeasure at what his employer had done.  Good work if you can get it.

This just in.  CBS is a commercial enterprise.  Their first legal obligation is to its shareholders.  It would appear they concluded that intentionally trashing President Trump and his supporters was simply bad business.  It is not exactly a secret that legacy linear television programming continues to hemorrhage viewers.

CBS has decided that indulging the echo chamber of liberal elitists has a ceiling on its appeal to the rest of us.  Just what other job is there where you can publicly trash your employer for their decisions?  Unless I am mistaken, all of these characters at CBS have been cashing checks issued by CBS.

The idea that these on-air personalities have some intrinsic right to loudly be critical of their employer is the height of arrogance and entitlement.  Unless they are given the privilege of not being interfered with, they will make known their displeasure.

For a long time, the corporate media have pretended they are playing it straight.  Now, the argument is that it is so abundantly clear President Trump is an existential threat to democracy that non-stop and uncritical “reporting” of this is simply doing their jobs, whether it is the news division or the entertainment division.  Never mind that a majority of Americans demonstrated on Election Day in 2024; this was not their view of things.

In ending the Colbert show, CBS said this was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”  I take them at their word, but I wish they had said the financial decision was based on two things.  First and foremost, you do not have the right to publicly trash your employer.  Second, you cannot relentlessly support one political point of view and criticize the other in the name of “being honest.”  Commercial enterprises are in business to make money.  This does not include a requirement to allow your own employees to denounce you.  That would be bad business.

Remember this: Increasingly, a growing number of Americans have had it with the preening taking place among President Trump’s critics in the legacy media.  If you want to denounce your employer, be prepared to find another job.