Trump Lashes Out at Stephen Colbert Over Rerun Monologue Mocking Kennedy Center Role – Calls for Immediate Cancellation of Already-Doomed Late Show
By Entertainment Desk December 31, 2025
In a late-night outburst that lit up social media just hours before Christmas Eve, President Donald Trump unleashed a scathing attack on Stephen Colbert, branding the late-night host a “pathetic trainwreck” with “no talent” and demanding CBS “put him to sleep” immediately – despite The Late Show with Stephen Colbert already being slated to end in May 2026.
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Review: On ‘Late Show’ Premiere, Stephen Colbert Tries to Bring …
Stephen Colbert on the set of The Late Show. (CBS)
The president’s fury erupted on Truth Social around midnight on December 24, shortly after CBS aired the annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony – which Trump himself hosted earlier in the month – followed immediately by a rerun of Colbert’s December 8 episode. In that original monologue, Colbert skewered Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, his self-appointment as board chair, and efforts to rename it the “Trump Kennedy Center” (a move critics have called legally dubious).
Colbert highlighted the apparent conflict of interest, joking: “It seems like the Commander in Chief shouldn’t have enough time to run a theater: ‘Mr. President! Russia has just launched another round of missiles, but first, dress rehearsal of ‘Oklahoma!’ is underway, and the blocking is uninspired!’” The studio audience booed loudly at mentions of Trump’s involvement.
Trump also appeared irked by Colbert fact-checking his earlier claim that Jimmy Kimmel had been a “horrible” past host of the Honors. “Just a quick brain check for Grandpa Puddin’ Skull,” Colbert quipped, noting Kimmel never hosted – but he himself had, for three years prior to Trump’s presidency.
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Stephen Colbert delivering a monologue on The Late Show. (CBS/YouTube)
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success… Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!” He followed up with broader complaints about late-night shows being “almost 100% Negative” toward him, again floating the idea of revoking broadcast licenses.
The timing of the rerun – placed directly after the Trump-hosted Honors broadcast, which drew historically low ratings of around 2.65 million viewers – fueled speculation that CBS intentionally programmed it to provoke. Sources suggest the scheduling was strategic, given the episode’s direct relevance to the preceding special.
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Trump announces Kennedy Center honorees as he tries to put his …
President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. (CNN/Getty Images)
This latest clash fits a long pattern: Trump has frequently targeted Colbert, one of his most persistent late-night critics. Earlier in 2025, Trump celebrated CBS’s July announcement canceling The Late Show for financial reasons amid a “challenging” late-night landscape, though some speculated political pressure tied to Paramount’s merger dealings.
Colbert’s final season has seen him lean into satire undeterred, often earning strong ratings relative to competitors. Supporters praised the rerun as a bold defense of comedic free expression, while critics echoed Trump’s calls for accountability.
As The Late Show heads toward its curtain call, moments like this underscore Colbert’s polarizing legacy – proving that even in reruns, his sharp political commentary can still dominate headlines and provoke powerful reactions.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights on CBS, with new episodes resuming after the holiday break.