Fact Check: Did Trump say 'America is finally healing' after Stephen Colbert's show was canceled?

WASHINGTON, DC: Following the cancellation of CBS’s 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', a claim began circulating on social media platforms that President Donald Trump reacted to the cancellation, saying, “America is finally healing,” sparking reactions and speculations. Let us analyze the claim and fact-check its authenticity.

Claim: Donald Trump reacted to Stephen Colbert's show cancellation saying 'America is finally healing'

According to the viral claim that has been circulating on X, Facebook, and Instagram, Trump reacted to ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ being canceled by CBS, saying, “America is finally healing.” 

The president’s alleged remark, which has been seen by thousands after being shared by the Hoops Crave account, has triggered mixed reactions from netizens, with many appearing to agree with the president while others slammed him, indicating that many believe the statement to be authentic.

Fact Check: The claim originated as a satire

Although Trump did call Colbert a "total jerk" in a late-night 2 am rant and shared an AI-generated video of him lifting the former late-night host into a dumpster after his farewell show, there is no evidence that he made the specific remark. 

A search on Google for the claim yielded no credible reports by prominent news media outlets, which, if true, would have been widely covered.

There are also no signs of the remark on Trump’s official social media accounts, such as Truth Social and X.

Moreover, the claim originated from a popular satire account on X called Hoops Crave, which describes itself in the bio as "parody." Hence, the claim was intended as a satire made for the sake of engagement.

A fact check by Grok stated, “This is satire. The HoopsCrave post (a parody account) falsely attributes the quote ‘America is finally healing' to Trump about The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's end. Trump did celebrate the show's finale. The Late Show ended its run on May 21, 2026, after CBS canceled it for financial reasons.”

Stephen Colbert makes surprise TV return 

Just a day after his late-night show ended, Colbert made a surprise comeback on the Michigan public access TV show 'Only in Monroe', where he took over hosting duties for a full hour on Friday, May 22, and instantly slipped back into his signature humor. 

“It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV, so I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount,” Colbert joked during Friday’s broadcast. 

The episode featured celebrity guests, including actor Jeff Daniels and Jack White of 'The White Stripes' fame, along with Eminem and Steve Buscemi, who appeared through pre-taped cameos.