Jake Tapper says Paramount is in ‘bend-the-knee phase’ to Trump after canceling Stephen Colbert’s show

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: CNN anchor Jake Tapper didn’t hold back Friday as he slammed Paramount, the parent company of CBS, for what he believes was a politically motivated decision to cancel ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.’

Speaking on ‘The Lead’, Tapper accused the media conglomerate of entering a “bend-the-knee phase” to appease President Donald Trump.

You can listen to Tapper accusing CBS of bending the knee to Trump at 1 minute 20 seconds into the video.

Jake Tapper blasts CBS parent company for Stephen Colbert exit

“Obviously, President Trump has made no secret of his hatred of being mocked, specifically, the jokes that people like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel make at his expense,” Tapper said, referring to Colbert’s long-running satirical jabs at the president.

“Paramount is in a bend-the-knee phase. Paramount, which owns CBS. Paramount is attempting to please President Trump as Paramount’s Shari Redstone waits for the Trump administration’s blessing for a lucrative merger with a company called Skydance,” he added.

Tapper cited ongoing regulatory reviews involving Skydance CEO David Ellison, who reportedly met with Trump-appointed FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on July 15. The meeting came as Paramount finalized a controversial $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit stemming from a 2024 ‘60 Minutes’ interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Timing of cancellation raises eyebrows ahead of Skydance deal

The backlash follows Colbert’s scathing on-air response to Paramount’s recent $16 million settlement to Donald Trump, which he called a “big fat bribe,” just days before CBS announced his show would end in 2026. Despite strong ratings, the network claimed the cancellation was strictly a financial decision.

In a joint statement issued Thursday, senior executives at CBS and Paramount called Stephen Colbert “irreplaceable” and confirmed that the ‘Late Show’ franchise would be retired following his exit.

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach, CBS Studios president David Stapf, and Paramount Global Co-CEO George Cheeks.

Clarifying the move, the network added, “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Tapper continued, “Paramount was determined to settle with the president, and it’s that timing that CBS was no doubt attempting to head off in their announcement of the termination of the Colbert show, which was doing very well in ratings, by the way.” 

Media analyst and former New York Times reporter Bill Carter joined Tapper during the segment and added further skepticism. “There was no rational explanation except it’s before the merger is going to be finalized,” Carter said.

Internet fires back as Jake Tapper slams CBS parent company over Stephen Colbert's show cancellation

CNN anchor Jake Tapper sparked intense debate online after criticizing CBS parent company Paramount Global over its decision to cancel ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ in May 2026. Tapper’s remarks, which questioned whether politics played a role in the show's cancellation, quickly ignited a reaction from both critics and supporters online.

Many users weren’t convinced the move was political; they said it was financial.

One user wrote, “Colbert was running a failed show. Huge money suck. Paramount made the right call.”

Another commented bluntly, “Don’t worry libbies. You can still watch Kimmel cry each week or Fallon laugh really loud at nothing.”

Some said, arguing, “Dude, get over it. Colbert will have another show, probably on streaming. The networks are dead.”

Another user chimed in with a warning, “Trump will come after @nbcsnl next.”

Others pointed out that Colbert isn’t being ousted abruptly, noting the show will end after its current contract, “It's being cancelled… next May. And it isn't that they're firing Colbert. They're ending the program completely. To be replaced by ‘To Be Determined.’”

“Whatever CBS/Paramount/Skydance 'merges' into, they won’t have an ounce of credibility. It’ll just be a new Fox ‘News’ entertainment. Shame on CBS,” another added.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.