Stephen Colbert’s former program won Outstanding Variety Series at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, and the White House denied President Donald Trump had any role in CBS’ decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reported that Ingle said, “Neither President Trump nor anyone else in the Administration had anything to do with this,” and added, “The reality is Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck with no talent, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.”
After the ceremony, Colbert was asked about free speech and the future of late-night television; Fox News Digital reported he declined to directly say whether he believed Trump was responsible for the show’s cancellation. The report said Colbert defended the state of free speech, saying, “If you can’t say something because you go to jail, that is a violation of free speech,” and that he remained optimistic about late-night television.
CBS announced in July 2025 that it would end “The Late Show” franchise after Colbert’s 25th–26th season, saying the move was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” Fox News Digital reported that Colbert’s manager, James Dixon, had been informed on June 27, 2025, that CBS intended to end the show, before Paramount disclosed a $16 million settlement tied to a “60 Minutes” interview and before Colbert publicly criticized the agreement.
Fox News Digital reported CBS had said the decision was unrelated to the show’s performance, content or other matters involving then-parent company Paramount. The report said “The Late Show” had been losing roughly $40 million annually. The Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance one week after CBS announced the cancellation, and the transaction later closed in August 2025, Fox News Digital reported.
Fox News Digital also quoted Media Research Center President David Bozell as saying Colbert’s refusal to address the Trump question contrasted with speculation around the cancellation and pointed to financial reasons for ending the show.
Fox News Digital reported it reached out to CBS-Paramount for comment and did not immediately receive a response.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
