In May 2017, Colbert made a crude joke about Trump and Putin referring to oral sex in his monologue.
The line triggered hundreds of FCC complaints and a wave of criticism, especially from conservatives who called it homophobic.
But the FCC ultimately ruled the joke did not violate broadcast decency standards and took no action against CBS.
Rather than derailing “The Late Show,” the uproar pushed it past “The Tonight Show,” with an average of 3.27 million viewers the following week — cementing Colbert’s image as late night’s anti-Trump force.
Fast forward to July of this year, Colbert lambasted a $16 million settlement between Paramount (CBS’s parent) and Trump, which resolved the president’s lawsuit claiming “60 Minutes” had deceptively edited a 2024 interview with then-presidential rival Kamala Harris that “tipped the scales in favor of the Democratic party.”
On air, Colbert called the payout a “big fat bribe.”
Days later, CBS announced that “The Late Show” would end in May 2026, calling the decision “purely financial,” though critics pointed to the timing as suspicious.
Democratic lawmakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff, questioned whether the cancellation was retaliatory.