President Donald Trump mocked Stephen Colbert as “no talent” after the comedian’s final episode of The Late Show—despite Colbert largely avoiding any direct mention of Trump during the broadcast.
The unusual ending to Colbert’s CBS run surprised many viewers because the host, long one of Trump’s most outspoken late-night critics, chose not to directly mention the president by name during his farewell show.
Trump posted criticism of Colbert on Truth Social after the finale aired, reigniting a years-long feud between the pair.
The White House Takes Aim
Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote: “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!”
His stance was echoed by White House spokesperson David Ingle, who had earlier told The Independent: “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.”
Colbert Avoided Mentioning Trump
Colbert never mentioned Trump’s name once throughout the final episode. Instead, the show took a non-political route, with Colbert preferring to celebrate his 11 seasons on the show and say goodbye to fans and celebrity friends rather than engage in his usual form of political satire.
During a chat with Beatles legend Paul McCartney, Colbert asked, “What do you remember about February of ’64?” in reference to their U.S. TV debut at the same Ed Sullivan Theater where The Late Show is filmed.
McCartney replied, “Well, we’d never been to America. We’d come here and people said this was the biggest show, and to tell you the truth, we’d never heard of it.”
“We came here and you have to go a few floors down to get to makeup,” McCartney continued. “We went down there and the girls put makeup on us, and it was like, bright orange.” Colbert quipped: “That’s very popular in certain circles these days.”
Political Heavyweights Pay Tribute
Though Trump had only negative things to say about the departing Colbert, the response among former Democrat leaders on social media was positive.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote: “Stephen Colbert has a talent for making people laugh and encouraging them to stay curious, stay engaged, and stay hopeful about the world around them. Thank you for your voice, your creativity, and so many memorable conversations over the years. Cheers to you.”
Former first lady Hillary Clinton was similarly effusive in her praise. “Every time I sat across the desk from Stephen Colbert, I knew we’d have a conversation that was about more than just getting laughs,” she wrote on Threads.
“Alongside his great wit, Stephen brought deep thoughtfulness, empathy, and humility to the late-night stage. Here’s to a next chapter as brilliant as the last.”
Former President Barack Obama also spoke of his admiration of Colbert. “For more than a decade, Stephen Colbert has been one of the top voices of late night—making us laugh and, even more importantly, reminding us who we are and what America stands for,” he wrote on social media.
“Michelle and I enjoyed being Stephen’s guests—even when the games were rigged—and we’re grateful to call him a friend.”
A Long-Running Feud
Colbert, like all of his late-night host counterparts, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration throughout the president’s time in office.
A 2017 Newsweek study found in the president’s first 100 days in office alone, Colbert delivered 337 Trump-themed jokes on his show.
Since then the two have continued to spar verbally, with Colbert regularly fact-checking, impersonating and poking fun at Trump, with the president responding in kind.
Trump Celebrates ‘Firing’
When CBS announced on July 17, 2025, that The Late Show would be ending, they insisted it was a “purely financial decision” influenced by the declining economics of late-night television and “not related in any way to the show’s performance [or] content.”
The war of words continued between the pair since Colbert’s departure was announced. “I absolutely love that Colbert’ [sic] got fired,” he wrote on Truth Social at the time, branding the host “untalented.” Colbert responded on The Late Show that same evening:
“How dare you, sir.” He continued: “Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?” The camera then cut to a close-up of Colbert appearing to say the words “go f*** yourself” though his mouth was blurred and the word was bleeped out.
Given their history, many, probably including Trump, may have expected one final swipe from Colbert before he signed off.
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