Warren: Colbert 'may have been canceled in order to curry favor' with Trump

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

07/23/25 6:45 PM ET


Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a Wednesday opinion piece for Variety that comedian Stephen Colbert’s show may have been canceled by CBS “to curry favor” with President Trump.

CBS announced the cancelation on Friday, days after Colbert, a frequent critic of Trump, had criticized a merger between Skydance and Paramount, CBS’s parent company. The approval of federal regulatory agencies is necessary for the merger to go through. While CBS said the cancelation was strictly a financial issue and there have been reports that Colbert’s show was losing money, a number of observers and Colbert himself have raised the possibility of politics.

“In the coming weeks, months, and years, all of us must show Trump that we see his march toward authoritarianism and we will not be silenced. Democrats need to embrace the fight against corruption as a top priority. Republicans need to grow a spine and get behind common-sense anti-corruption measures,” Warren said in her piece.

“All Americans need to speak up. Because yes, it’s a shame that CBS canceled ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,’ but it is a threat to all of us that the top late-night show in the country may have been canceled in order to curry favor with a wannabe king,” she added.

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5416852-elizabeth-warren-stephen-colbert-cbs/

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Link to Senator Warren OP Ed - Elizabeth Warren on Colbert ‘Late Show’ Cancellation: Is the Paramount Trump Payoff a Bribe?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. "Well, Duh" might be an appropriate response.

Yes, they want the merger approved.

[rzemanfl]

2. +1. n/t

[BlueMTexpat]

3. No "may" about it,

IMHO!

[Bengus81]

4. Oh ya think?!?!?

[BlueKota]

5. It will be interesting to see, if CBS responds

further because a lot of people aren't buying their excuses.

[Bengus81]

7. They don't give a shit,the Fuhrer will let the merger go through which is all they want

And as another nod and on bended knee to the King, Skydance has now said they will shit can any and all DEI practices at CBS.

[BlueKota]

8. This sucks

[Javaman]

6. Oh Sen. Warren, you are late to the party. nt

[twodogsbarking]

9. I think it backfired. Trump would gladly take everyone's money but this isn't about dollars.

It is all about control and silencing everyone who doesn't bow to him.

[DrFunkenstein]

10. I Think You Have It Exactly Backwards

This is about the greed of CBS, not Trump's. It is about using Trump's vanity as a means of progressing their mega-merger. When activists like myself bitched about Clinton signing the Telecommunications Act in 1996, the "third way" corporate folk said we were just a bunch of cranks getting in the way higher quality entertainment and journalism. How has that worked out? Honestly, this is just the natural extension of that same path.

CBS are not looking to merge because they think they are going to lose money. Their execs are going to make money hand over first if Trump gives the green light. Canceling Colbert and the 60 Minutes settlement are a small price to pay for what they'll get in return.

[BBbats]

11. In The "No Shit,Sherlock" Department.......

With one of his enablers as head of the FCC he can pull broadcast licenses for some bullshit charge.
Never watched any of the late night shows( with the exception of Music & Movies I'm not a TV viewer) but it's apparent to me that's the reason.
Public ratings be damned!

[Mblaze]

12. A major clue is

That Colbert's last show will be next May. Why would Paramount announce this so close to their Trump bribe if the cancellation wasn't part of the deal?

[LiberalLovinLug]

13. I love Elizabeth but this "may" is an indicator of what is wrong with the party

Its not gloves off fighting. Its gloves on. Just in case the slim chance they may have been presumptuous and rude.

Just stop it!!!!

Imagine a debate where one position is YOU ARE WRONG I AM RIGHT! VS you may be wrong, and I may be right.

[11 Bravo]

14. I love Senator Warren, but the words, "No shit, Sherlock" come to mind.

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

25. Right?

[samsingh]

15. can't some the cancelled reports and comedians start a new media outfit?

[BumRushDaShow]

17. The might end up competing with existing ones

like "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central channel or HBOMax's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver".

If they did form their own, it would most likely need a subscription and/or have a good corporate sponsor. Where Colbert was on CBS was a broader audience as an OTA ( "free" ) broadcast network, although all of the major OTAs have lost market share to streaming.

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

24. That would be pretty neat

[Bengus81]

16. Update for you Liz...the FCC voted today to let the merger go through.

Skydance announces shit canning Colbert,they state that DEI will END at CBS and POOF....the deal is done as of today. I thought it was going to be 3 months or so before FCC approval.

My Paramount Plus runs through late Sept but I won't renew. Hey Ellison,go kiss Trumps ass some more.

[cstanleytech]

18. Water is wet.

Or in other words..... no shit!!!

[malthaussen]

19. He burned his bridges by biting the hand that fed him.

(How's that for a mixed metaphor?) That does not, however, exclude the possibility that his dismissal was a two-fer.

OTOH, late night TV has been dying a slow death for years. It is not impossible that the network did want to cut the show for financial reasons. And with their employee attacking them and an extortionist President telling them to come across or their merger would not be approved, well, there are all sorts of reasons why they might have cancelled the show.

-- Mal

[Rebl2]

20. Of course

He was. Who will be next?

[Dr. T]

21. Cancel culture at it's worst.

[Rhiannon12866]

22. 'Looks like bribery': Warren questions Colbert cancellation, Trump-Paramount deal - All In - MSNBC

“This looks a lot, smells a lot, sounds a lot like you're purchasing favors from the President of the United States. And that's a serious problem. If those facts are proven, that sounds a lot like bribery,” says Sen. Elizabeth Warren. - Aired on 07/22/2025.

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

23. Disgusting

[C_U_L8R]

26. They may have curried favor

But they sure as shit are losing ratings.
And their precious stock doesn't stay aloft without advertiser dollars.
No brand is gonna pay for an empty network... even if Trump approves.