Stephen Colbert ended his run on CBS's Late Show Thursday night after 11 years behind the desk, closing out a show that had been a fixture of late-night television for 33 years. About an hour after he signed off, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social at 1:52 a.m. ET: "Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone!"
According to a report by Deadline, CBS cited financial reasons for ending the show, even though it had topped other late night programs in the ratings. The network denied criticism that it pulled the show to win Trump's favor, though the decision was announced just as parent company Paramount was seeking FCC approval for its acquisition by Skydance. Trump had been a frequent, even nightly, target of Colbert's humor throughout his tenure.
Colbert opened his final broadcast by declaring his intention to keep things normal. "We call this show The Joy Machine," he said. "Because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn't hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears." According to IndieWire, even with a 10-month lead-up to the last show, neither Colbert, his team, nor his audience felt ready to go.
The finale drew a parade of celebrity visitors who each attempted to claim the coveted final guest seat. Bryan Cranston was the first to be turned down. Paul Rudd arrived with six bananas as a retirement gift. Ryan Reynolds gave the same gift to keyboardist Corey Bernhard. Tim Meadows appealed to his decades-long friendship with Colbert. Tig Notaro, meanwhile, seemed unaware the show was ending at all, deadpanning: "It's your last show?"
The actual final guest turned out to be Paul McCartney. During their conversation, McCartney touched on America, saying "The land of the free, the greatest democracy, that is what [America] was… and still is, hopefully." McCartney's appearance carried an added layer of history: the Late Show has broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater since 1993, the same stage where the Beatles made their American television debut in 1964. In one of the few references to Trump during the finale, McCartney mentioned getting orange makeup before that original Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Colbert otherwise played the show straight. He rattled off jokes about the day's headlines, delivered a final First Draft segment, and shared pieces of Ed Sullivan Theater history. One item: "Backstage, Elvis used the bathroom and didn't die."
IndieWire noted that Colbert had hosted approximately 1,800 episodes over his 11-year run. The Late Show itself, created by David Letterman, had been on the air for 33 years before CBS canceled it. Colbert's version had held the top position in late-night ratings at the time of its cancellation.
