Late Night television has long been a staple in not only American entertainment but also American politics. It’s not uncommon for hosts to make jabs at opposing political parties, however, it is uncommon for hosts to be targeted for these kinds of jokes and have their platforms taken away. On July 18th, 2025, it was announced that CBS will be cancelling Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, and by May 2026, it will no longer be in production. CBS has cited financial issues; however, it’s very likely that the show has been cancelled due to the scathing jokes Colbert often makes at President Trump’s expense.
It’s frightening to think that such a beloved show can be simply waved away if someone in power doesn’t like the content. The entire point of the First Amendment (something that Trump and his affiliates preached during his campaign run) is that citizens have the prerogative to say whatever they want, regardless of the size of their following.
While the assumption that the show was cancelled because of Trump can and is being dismissed as liberal speculation, the dots are too obvious not to connect. Paramount (the parent company of CBS) and Skydance Media merged, and the CEO of Skydance is David Ellison. President Trump is good friends with Ellison, and if Trump wanted Colbert canceled because of his quips, Ellison would certainly heed his request. So, it is not unreasonable to assume that part of the terms of the deal between Paramount and Skydance was the cancellation of Colbert’s show.
Under Trump, America is actively declining into a landscape of hush money and closed-door deals. The press and media were always responsible for transparency, and when this job is whipped away, it creates a precedent that censorship is something to be encouraged. How can leaders like Trump claim America to be some superior nation when we stoop to the levels of censorship that countries such as North Korea practice?
The unfortunate reality of this country is that everything is centered around money, and if even something as invaluable as transparent journalism needs to be taken away in the interest of financial ventures, CEOs and billionaires won’t turn away from it.
This can be seen in the Murrow-McCarthy conflict in 1954. McCarthy was a young senator looking for a way to make his mark, so he spearheaded the Red Scare of the Cold War. He accused prominent figures in political and pop culture spheres of being Communist sympathizers, which led to the downfall of numerous careers. CBS reporter Edward Murrow did not take kindly to this and criticized McCarthy for his actions. Apparently, his most scathing remark was calling McCarthy a ‘junior senator.’ Outraged, McCarthy demanded that CBS force Murrow to apologize on air.
It’s unbelievable that in 2025, we are reverting back to the level of censorship that the paranoia of the Red Scare brought. Increased bans on free speech are not an indicator of a successful presidency, and Trump and his supporters need to realize that if he wants to have even a sliver of flattery in the history textbooks of the future. That is, if reliable textbooks will even be allowed in the future.
