The post The cruel joke of CBS ousting Stephen Colbert appeared first on Salon.com.

President Donald Trump was gleeful over Stephen Colbert's cancellation, saying his "talent was even less than his ratings" on Truth Social.

The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert tempted fate when he called Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump a “big fat bribe” earlier this week. Three days later, CBS announced it would end his show after the upcoming 2025-2026 season.

Colbert notably clowned Paramount and described the settlement as a “big fat bribe” on Monday’s show, jokes that sparked speculation that the program’s cancellation was politically motivated and led the show’s union to call for an investigation into CBS’ decision.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert started out on Thursday with the host making the bombshell announcement that CBS was canceling the show, effective next May. That wasn’t addressed in his interview with Sen.