"Go f**k yourself": Colbert responds to Trump post
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"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" host Stephen Colbert on the program last month. Photo: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images
"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert responded to President Trump's post that celebrated the cancelation of the program in his opening monologue on Monday.
Why it matters: Colbert wasn't just a vocal critic of Trump; he also criticized CBS' parent Paramount's decision to settle with him.
- In his first show since CBS announced it would end the program next year, Colbert addressed Trump's Friday post that stated: "I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!"
Zoom in: Colbert responded that that he was the martyr and the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host was not next.
- "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?: "Go f**k yourself."
Catch up quick: Earlier this month, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a voter interference lawsuit filed by Trump last year.
- The settlement was criticized by press freedom advocates who believe Paramount could have won what they viewed as a frivolous lawsuit.
- "I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: it's 'big, fat bribe,'" Colbert said on his show, days before CBS announced its cancellation.
The intrigue: CBS said last week it is pulling the show for "financial" reasons, but the timing of the announcement has drawn suspicion from media watchers and Democrats.
- Colbert said Thursday he found out about the program's cancellation the day before.
- David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media, the company taking over Paramount, met with FCC chair Brendan Carr last Tuesday.
- He urged the FCC's Media Bureau to "promptly grant" Paramount's applications to transfer control of its broadcast licenses to its new owners, after emphasizing "the public interest benefits" of the deal in the meeting.
State of play: Democrats were already furious about Paramount's settlement with Trump, but the Colbert situation has added to the anger.
- Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden announced an investigation Monday into Skydance's role in a "potential secret Trump payoff connected to Paramount deal."
- That "potential secret Trump payoff" refers to reports that Trump brokered a side deal with Paramount's future owners for millions of dollars' worth of public service announcements in support of conservative causes. Trump has suggested those reports were true.
The big picture: Late-night shows used to be the crown jewel of big broadcast. Now, in a hyper-partisan streaming era, they present more risks.
- "The Late Show" was reportedly losing tens of millions of dollars annually.
- In a hyper-partisan world, political comedy risks alienating sizable audiences or drawing ire from people in power.
- Trump has previously taken aim at many major late-night comedians, calling ABC's Jimmy Kimmel "one of the dumbest human beings ever," NBC's Jimmy Fallon "not very funny" and "Late Night" host Seth Meyers "dumb and untalented."
