Trump calls Stephen Colbert a ‘total jerk’ in late-night 2 am rant after show farewell

WASHINGTON, DC: As Stephen Colbert signed off from ‘The Late Show’ on Thursday, May 21, President Donald Trump celebrated his exit from TV, calling him a “total jerk” who had “no talent.”

While Colbert said that he did not care if people thought that politics played a role in the cancellation of his show, Trump stayed up in the wee hours of Friday morning for a victory lap, cheering the end of Stephen Colbert’s run at CBS.

Trump jabs Colbert in late-night attack

After The Late Show finale finished airing, Trump launched a jab at the host through a Truth Social post.

Trump targeted Colbert, saying that he lasted long without any talent and rating.

Trump argued that his show had no life, and he was like a dead person, as the president celebrated his departure from TV.

“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.”

Trump–Colbert feud explained

The long-running feud between Donald Trump and Stephen Colbert intensified during Trump’s presidential campaigns and time in office, when the president frequently became the subject of jokes and criticism on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

After CBS announced last year that The Late Show would end following Colbert’s decade-long tenure, Trump celebrated the news on Truth Social.

“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” Trump wrote at the time. “His talent was even less than his ratings.”

The parent company, Paramount, faced scrutiny after agreeing to pay Donald Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit linked to edits made during a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.

Stephen Colbert criticized the settlement on-air, calling it a “big fat bribe,” while CBS maintained that the cancellation of The Late Show was “purely a financial decision.”

Colbert says he’s not afraid of Trump

Stephen Colbert, before the finale episode of his long-time show, spoke to the people and reflected on the end of CBS’s show as he brushed aside speculations that he is worried about Trump’s administration after making attacks on Trump an inseparable part of his show.

Colbert has spent decades needling politicians (especially conservatives) while building himself into one of late-night’s most recognizable faces.

“I’ll never stop caring about my country,” Colbert said. “I’m a perfectly fine fan of me, but I am not of the opinion that if my voice is missing from the national conversation, the republic will turn awry.”