The first full week of ratings for network late night television since “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” went dark have been released. And it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the Donald Trump bootlickers at Paramount/CBS who canceled their number one program starring America’s favorite late night host.
The loss of Colbert’s wit, insight, and compassion, is already being felt by millions of his fans. His final show on May 22 was his most-watched weeknight episode of all time. He raised millions of dollars for charity by auctioning off parts of his set and other memorabilia from the show. And he stirred the wrath of Donald Trump who had a severe flare up of his OCD (Obsessive Colbert Disorder).
Now audiences are beginning to settle into a new late night routine. And with Colbert moving on to what will likely be an even bigger, better platform for his humor and punditry, there was some interest as to where his network viewers would end up. Now we know. As reported by Latenighter…
“According to Nielsen Live+3 ratings data for the week of May 24, 2026, Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 2.43 million total viewers (+35 percent over the week prior) and 252,000 adults 18–49 (+31 percent) across three original episodes and two repeats. The Tonight Show, meanwhile, averaged 1.41 million total viewers (+6 percent) and 271,000 adults 18–49 (+3 percent).” […]
“On CBS, Comics Unleashed completed its first full week in Stephen Colbert’s former Late Show time period. […] Combined, the show’s one-hour block averaged 737,000 total viewers (down -72%) and 78,000 adults 18–49 (down -66%).”
This was not entirely surprising. Most knowledgeable TV analysts assumed that Kimmel would get the lion’s share of Colbert’s viewers. His program and brand of humor is closer to Colbert’s, than Jimmy Fallon, who strives for a more congenial image that is averse to offending anyone.
So Kimmel is the big winner in this battle. And the big loser? That would be Trump. He despises Kimmel nearly as much as he did Colbert. Trump has repeatedly called for Kimmel to be fired. Instead, Kimmel is becoming bigger and more popular than ever. He recently won a coveted Peabody Award and used his acceptance speech to skewer Trump.
Despite Trump’s pathetic efforts to hamper Kimmel’s rise, there is really nothing that he can do about it. But that won’t stop him from whining and lashing out in a futile attempt to bring Kimmel down. It won’t work. It will just make Trump look weaker and more pitiful. If that’s even still possible at this point.
The tender sensitivities of Donald Trump, and his massive yet fragile ego, continue to shine through the facade of bombast and bullying that he likes to put forward. His macho image of himself – setting aside his affinity for The Village People and muscular MMA fighters – is as fake as his layers of orange pancake makeup and B-52 hairstyles.
Trump’s hyper-mushiness is often expressed by his lashing out at journalists and other media figures. It can be seen whenever he is asked a question he can’t answer and resorts to insulting the reporter as a means of dodging the question. And it’s particularly true with regard to comedians who wound his smug pride with ample servings of satire and well-deserved mockery.
On Sunday night Trump unloaded yet another lambasting of his perceived enemies, both political and humorous. In a comment posted to his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social, Trump lauded himself for allegedly ending the careers of several of his archfoes, including Stephen Colbert. Trump bragged that…
“In the last two weeks I’ve taken out many bad Political ‘Leaders’ and Pundits including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lightweight ‘Congressman’ Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brad Raffensperger of Georgia, REALLY DUMB Stephen Colbert of CBS, and others.”
Whad'ya know? Trump is admitting he had a role in Stephen Colbert being canceled, something he previously denied, and CBS said was just a financial decision.Plus he says he's also going after the other late night hosts. And finally, he says this is how he is "working so hard for our country" ???
That’s right. Trump is taking credit for the cancellation of “DUMB” (with a “B”) Stephen Colbert. Which is peculiar because he has previously denied having much, if anything, to do with it. In a post on Truth Social in July of last year Trump claimed that Colbert was fired due to “lack of talent” and CBS’s unverified assertion that the number one rated show lost $50 million dollars a year…
“Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true! The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses.”
Trump’s tirade also included a tribute to himself saying that “It is my Honor to be working so hard for our Country!” Exactly! Because, as everyone knows, canceling Colbert is the best way to lower costs for gas, and groceries, and housing, and healthcare.
And that’s on top of the many economic benefits that come from building vanity ballrooms, staging UFC fights at the White House, paying $1.8 billion to reward violent seditionists, minting $250.00 bills with Trump’s face on them, and, of course. starting wars against Middle East countries without any reason or exit strategy.
The worst part of this assumption of credit by Trump is that he is affirming his intention to do away with the free speech rights and press freedoms embedded in the First Amendment to the Constitution. He actually believes that he has the power to dictate what can or cannot be aired on television. And sadly, too many of the billionaires who own the media are all too willing to capitulate to him for fear and/or greed.
However, that weakness will only work for so long. And the time is coming when they will learn the hard way that capitulation not only feeds Trump’s hunger for power, it alienates audiences who will revolt against the traitorous complicity in the corporate media’s embrace of MAGA-style fascism.
The “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has officially entered the realm of history with his spectacular finale on Thursday night. His legacy of brilliance, warmth, insight, and humor will be remembered by chroniclers of both entertainment and politics for many decades to come.
Not that Colbert has retired from the worlds of either politics or comedy. The Emmy, Grammy, and Peabody Award winning humorist is expected to resume his career after a much deserved vacation and a diversion to a personal passion, writing the screenplay for the next cinematic installment of “Lord of the Rings.” His future looks extraordinarily bright, even as accolades are already starting to pour in…
The acclaim, however, is not universal. Colbert has managed to stir the ire of a notoriously humorless critic, Donald Trump, who stayed up late to bash Colbert after the last episode of his show was in the can. As Bruce Springsteen said earlier in the week, Colbert is “the first guy in America who lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke, [and that Paramount/CBS honchos] Larry and David Ellison feel the need to kiss his ass to get what they want.”
“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!”
“Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Beginning of the End’ for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts. Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Donald Trump is SOOOO jealous of the fact that Stephen Colbert is universally beloved and destined for greatness in his post-CBS career.
WOW! What an insightful, informative, and mature message to America. Never mind that it’s all bullshit. Trump is in no position to assess Colbert’s talent. And he is either lying or incredibly stupid (or both) if he thinks that Colbert’s number one rated late night program had no ratings. Trump is also pitifully predicting that Colbert is now “gone,” and that his late night peers will be gone soon as well. Not likely on either count.
UPDATE: No ratings? Variety reports that “‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Finale Attracts 6.74 Million Viewers, Its Most-Watched Weeknight Episode Of All Time.”
Trump also has a penchant for framing his insults in extremely dark terms, describing Colbert as “like a dead person.” That’s wishful thinking on Trump’s part. And, yes, he has made similarly morbid comments in the past…
Trump’s Colbert Derangement Syndrome is more evidence of how uncaring he is about American jobs. Colbert employs about 200 people whose jobs will be over along with the show. But what probably hurt Trump most of all is that in the extended 80 minute broadcast Trump’s name wasn’t mentioned one time. Considering Trump’s massive yet fragile ego, that deliberate neglect is likely still gnawing at him.
Add to that Trump’s raging jealousy that he is only able to attract washed up “celebrities” like Kid Rock, while Colbert was able assemble a huge cast of notables paying tribute to him, including the legendary Paul McCartney…
The 78th Annual Writers Guild of America’s annual awards ceremony was held Sunday night in New York City. Among the recipients was Stephen Colbert, whose CBS “Late Night” program was recently canceled amid a controversial ownership shake up that put the network into the hands of Trump-friendly billionaires, David and Larry Ellison. Its final episode will air on May 21, 2026.
Colbert was honored with the prestigious and rarely presented “Walter Bernstein Award” that is presented to a Guild member who has “demonstrated with creativity, grace and bravery a willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity.” There is no one who better exemplifies those principles than Colbert. Particularly at this point in his career. Although the punishment meted out by his corporate bosses might have backfired on them…
Robert Smigel (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, etc.) gave Colbert a lengthy and entertaining, anecdote-laden introduction, reminding the audience of Colbert’s work on many programs, including The Dana Carvey Show, Strangers With Candy, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. Then he brought Colbert to the podium for his acceptance speech, who led off with a bit of the back story on the award’s namesake. (Colbert begins at about 14:00)
“Thank you for the honor of the Walter Bernstein award. Bernstein was a brilliant writer and, as you know, was Blacklisted. I did a little research, and as I did research I discovered – I don’t know why I didn’t know this – it dawned on me that the Blacklist was not a government policy. The Blacklist wasn’t a law or a regulation or an executive order. It was a voluntary industry-wide agreement to deny work to left-leaning artists out of fear that certain members of the government might publicly attack the parent corporation of these artists for the union that they belong to. It was that threat, only the threat, of trouble, that ended so many careers.”
Colbert was quick to note that he didn’t believe that he had been subject to anything on the level of the 1950.s Blacklisting. Adding that “As far as I can tell, no one in late night is fomenting a revolution.” Then delivering the best line of the night…
“As we know, the revolution will not be televised. It was going to be televised, but then Paramount bought it. Evidently, the revolution was losing, like, $40 million a year. It had to go. I guess the revolution is thinking about starting a Substack.”
Colbert spent a good portion of his speech praising his writing staff, and even pitching for them to be hired after his show ends. He named them all with short personal “tributes” punctuated with fun facts about each one. He also went through a number of jokes that didn’t make it to the air. They included jabs at the Dobbs decision to repeal abortion rights, Kristi Noem’s alleged affair with aide Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s incestuous comments toward his daughter Ivanka, Melania meeting the Pope, and a profane reference to a McDonalds tag line.
All in all, it was an entertaining night of humor and history and a well deserved tribute to a comedy legend. Consequently, we can expect a full blown meltdown by Donald Trump whose aversion to comedy in general, and hatred for Colbert in particular, is well known…
Trump is having a bad night, so he's up rage-posting about TV comedians.He wants Stephen Colbert to be "put to sleep." And he thinks that networks have broadcast licenses (they don't) that should be "terminated."Poor baby isn't getting enough sleep at his Cabinet meetings.
He’s at it again! Wannabe dictator Donald Trump has dictated to his Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to further erode the protections of the Constitution’s First Amendment for freedom of the press. It is just his latest attempt to shape the media into the propaganda arm of his Reich House operation.
Three weeks ago Trump’s crony FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, announced that he was considering a plan to alter the long-standing rules regarding “Equal Time” on television. It was a blatant attempt to put an end to criticism of Trump from TV talk show hosts and their guests. Since the Equal Time rules were implemented there have been exceptions for newsworthy interviews on both news and entertainment programs. But Trump’s childish and emotional insecurity has resulted in his seeking to stifle his critics by any means necessary.
On Monday night’s episode of “Late Night with Stephen Colbert,” Colbert revealed that the executives at CBS had prohibited him from airing an interview with James Talarico, a Democratic Senate candidate from Texas. However, Colbert, whose number one show has already been canceled and will end it’s ten year long run in May, was not taking this censorship quietly. He delivered a smackdown of CBS and the FCC that was both troubling and hilarious. What follows are some choice excerpts followed by the video…
“You know who is not one of my guests tonight? That’s Texas State Representative James Talarico. He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast. I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this. […]
“Carr said he was thinking about dropping the exception for talk shows because he said some of them were motivated by partisan purposes. Well, sir, you’re chairman of the FCC. So, FCC YOU! Because I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself.” […]
“[Trump] wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV because all Trump does is watch TV. He’s like a toddler with too much screen time. He gets cranky and then drops a load in his diapers. So, it’s no surprise that two of the people most affected by this threat are me and my friend Jimmy Kimmel.”
After Colbert’s righteous rant, he told the audience that, while the network would not allow him to broadcast the Talarico interview, there was nothing stopping him from posting it on his YouTube page. And therefore…
There is, however, a surprisingly happy ending to this story. The goal of CBS and their masters in the Trump regime was to stifle any and all voices who were less than worshipful of Dear Leader Trump. But the result of their censorship was to drive more people to this interview than would otherwise have even heard that it existed. Note the numbers…
For Colbert’s FCC rant…
YouTube: 2.3 Million views (Update: 3.3 million)
Facebook: 2.8 million views (Update: 3.8 million)
For Colbert’s James Talarico interview…
YouTube: 2.6 Million views (Update: 5.6 million)
Facebook: 1.8 million views. (Update: 3.0 million)
Millions more views were racked up on other social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. In total, it was far more than the average audience for Colbert’s show, which in early February of 2026 was about 2.3 million viewers nightly.
So CBS, at the urging of the Trump regime, has succeeded in helping Colbert and Talarico to draw a much bigger audience than they would have if there were no improper government interference. So thanks for that.
Although, it is still outrageously unacceptable for the government to interfere at all. And particularly in such a partisan manner wherein they deliberately put pressure on late night talk shows that have been critical of Trump, while openly admitting that conservative talk radio would not be subject to similar muzzling.
The American people are not going to stand for this sort of censorship and tyranny. And the more that Trump and his comrades try to force it down our throats, the more they will lose and bury their own electoral prospects in the upcoming midterms and beyond.
UPDATE: CBS issued a memo disputing Stephen Colbert’s account of how the FCC pressured the network to spike the James Talarico interview. But they only made matters worse.
In Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign to nullify the First Amendment of the Constitution, and specifically it’s provisions to protect freedom of the press, he is becoming ever more flagrant and dangerous in his repressive scheming. And he is exhibiting his infamous weakness and fear of the tenets of democracy that shape American political and social principles.
Trump is now instructing his Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to alter the long-standing rules regarding “Equal Time” in order to put an end to the criticism he receives from television talk show hosts and their guests. It’s just the latest tactic that he has deployed to control what the American people are allowed to see and hear on television and other media.
Trump’s new attempt to muzzle the media is an order to his FCC chairman and chief censorship czar, Brendan Carr, to alter the way the FCC regulates “Equal Time” rules. For decades there have been exceptions for bona fide newsworthy interviews, whether they take place on a news program or an entertainment related talk show. But since Trump has been the subject of so much well deserved criticism, he is seeking to stifle his critics any way that he can. According to the Hollywood Reporter…
“The FCC said Wednesday that it is clarifying its guidance on its political equal time rules, a change that could end long-standing exemptions for interviews with politicians on shows like The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show and The Late Show.” […]
“News interviews have long been exempted from the requirement, but the FCC under Carr is pursuing a novel argument that late night and daytime talk shows are biased to the extent that they shouldn’t qualify. Among the factors in considering the carve-out is newsworthiness.” […]
“In a statement, Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, said the move represents an ‘escalation in this FCC’s ongoing campaign to censor and control speech.’ She added, ‘Broadcasters should not feel pressured to water down, sanitize, or avoid critical coverage out of fear of regulatory retaliation.'”
It is no coincidence that Trump’s actions are aimed at programs such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Trump has been determined to shut those programs down due to their frequent jokes and satirical humor about him. Trump has never been able to take a joke. His efforts have resulted in Colbert’s program being canceled (effective in May), and he got Kimmel suspended, but for only three days when outraged viewers complained to the network.
After the FCC made its announcement regarding “Equal Time,” Trump posted a link to this story on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. His link contained a comment that specifically referenced the ABC daytime talk show “The View” and Kimmel’s late-night talk show.
This is just another threat to First Amendment protected speech. The changes that are being floated by Trump’s FCC would make it virtually impossible for programs like Kimmel’s to ever book a political guest, or even an entertainer who has political opinions. There would be no practical way for them to also book anyone with a different opinion. And, of course, it would impinge on their free speech rights to produce programs free of government intervention.
It’s extraordinarily hypocritical that Trump and his MAGA GOP are suddenly in favor of government asserting this sort of control when they have long advocated for small government that kept out of matters such as these. Now they are craving more government interference than ever. And they are cheering Trump on when he wields the power of his office to suppress anyone who is insufficiently worshipful of him. Such as his many lawsuits against the media, including a new threat unleashed Thursday morning against pollsters who had the audacity to publish surveys showing how despised Trump is…
CRYBABY TRUMP is whining again. This time about polls that correctly show his approval ratings in the toilet.Typically, Trump lies about everything. And he says that he is filing (another) lawsuit against the press for doing their job and conducting accurate polls. #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice
Trump won’t be happy until he has banished every one of his critics from all media. He’s following the playbook of his heroes and mentors, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un. But he isn’t going to get away with it. In America we have the Constitution on our side. And as long as the millions of patriots who cherish freedom stay strong and rise up to quash Trump and his censorious comrades, he will fail again and again and again.
The seething hatred that Donald Trump embodies for his many perceived enemies is well documented. He frequently disgorges it in rabid rants on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. And it is aimed at anyone who is even mildly critical, or less than drooling with adoration.
Naturally, much of his acrid anger is directed at journalists who dare to report the unvarnished truth about his policy failures and his personal foibles. Of course he also regularly unleashes venomous acrimony aimed at both Democratic and Republican politicians who have the audacity to disagree with him on matters great and small. His flaming fury has none of the limits of decency practiced by his predecessors. When Trump gets mad at you, he wants you terminated permanently.
Late Tuesday night Trump had just finished watching the CBS broadcast of himself hosting the Kennedy Center Honors award show. You might think that he was enjoying his evening at home and preparing for bedtime. You would be wrong. Trump was wide awake and in a foul mood. As he was hate-watching one of his archenemies, Stephen Colbert, he fired off a series of comments on Truth Social that put his acute animosity on vivid display. He whined that…
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. 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!”
That comment was posted just minutes after Colbert’s monologue that included jokes about Trump hosting the Kennedy Center awards. But Trump may not have realized that it was a Colbert rerun from December 8.
Nevertheless, in his delusional and dishonest state, Trump fails to accept that Colbert is a beloved comedian who hosts the top rated program on late night TV. Trump also fails to note that Colbert was canceled by CBS as a favor to Trump, and likely demanded by Trump.
However, the the most disturbing part of Trump’s comment is where he calls Colbert a “dead man walking” and says that “the humanitarian thing to do” would be to “put him to sleep.” No doubt some of Trump’s deranged cult disciples would be happy to oblige him.
If Colbert ever said anything like that about Trump, the FBI would be banging down his door and interrogating him for having made a death threat against the president. But apparently it’s okay for Trump to make death threats against anyone he wants to, including politicians, journalists, and now entertainers. And he had the gall to appoint himself chairman of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts? Even so, Trump wasn’t finished ranting. He continued…
“Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC??? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!”
“If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!”
Trump’s question is actually pretty good. But, as usual, is answer is wrong. If there is so much negativity directed at Trump, maybe it’s because Trump is a monstrous abomination who has earned that opposition. As to whether the networks should have their licenses terminated, they would first need to have licenses. They don’t. The federal government does not license television networks. So Trump is in favor of terminating licenses that don’t exist.
Trump may have had a few other reasons to be upset by this evening’s affairs. First, CBS refused to identify either the Center or the awards as the “Trump Kennedy Center,” as Trump had illegal proclaimed it to be. According to the Washington Post…
“In lead-up advertising, logos and voice-over throughout the broadcast, CBS referred to the show as the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, at the Kennedy Center. […] CBS News’s standards department last week instructed staffers to maintain the original Kennedy Center name [because] it would take Congressional approval to officially change the name.”
Secondly, the network left most of Trump’s hosting duties on the cutting room floor…
“The televised broadcast presented a pared-down version of Trump’s opening remarks, cutting his introduction from about 12 minutes live to two minutes for viewers at home — and leaving out several of his looser jokes, including a reference to the laughing audience as ‘miserable, horrible people.'” […]
“Throughout the ceremony, Trump made limited appearances onstage, instead introducing remaining honorees in video segments prerecorded from the Oval Office.”
“According to preliminary Nielsen data, ‘The Kennedy Center Honors’ on CBS drew its smallest audience ever on the night of December 23, 2025, averaging an estimated 2.65 million viewers. To put that in perspective: the 2024 broadcast averaged 4.1 million.”
That’s gotta sting. A few weeks ago, when Trump announced who the honorees would be, he made a prediction about the broadcast saying that “It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: This will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done.” Oops.
Also, in Colbert’s monologue, there is a clip of Trump slamming prior hosts, saying that “I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible. If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.” Okay! Although Kimmel never hosted the Kennedy Center awards. But Colbert did, three times. And no, Trump couldn’t beat either of them. And no, he shouldn’t be president, for so many other reasons.
Trump’s humongous ego is notoriously fragile. Plus, he has been remotely diagnosed as a malignant narcissist. So numbers like these will bring out the worst in him. The problem is that these sort of tantrums suffered by someone with presidential powers is extremely dangerous. And for the welfare of the nation – and the world – he should be removed from office ASAP.
Trump is having a bad night, so he's up rage-posting about TV comedians.He wants Stephen Colbert to be "put to sleep." And he thinks that networks have broadcast licenses (they don't) that should be "terminated."Poor baby isn't getting enough sleep at his Cabinet meetings.
Posted by Mark NC on September 25, 2025 at 2:24 pm.
NOComments :
The eternal vigilance required to maintain America’s promise as a haven for free speech and a free press has been staggered by recent assaults delivered by Donald Trump and his censorious MAGA movement. The Constitution’s First Amendment protections are being actively challenged by the Trump regime’s seething animosity toward any criticism or expression of an opinion that is less than unflinchingly adoring of him.
Case in point, Trump has been attacking late-night talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, who was recently taken off the air by ABC/Disney at the behest of Trump in order to grease the wheels for their pending corporate business deals. And Stephen Colbert has had his program canceled by CBS, which is also seeking government favors from the Trump regime. What’s more, Trump has banished several news organizations from covering him, and is trying to turn the White House press corps into an Association of Slobbering Trump-Fluffers.
After the news of Colbert’s cancelation, which is effective at the end of the current season in May of 2026, Colbert won this year’s Emmy for Best Talk Series. That’s gotta gnaw at Trump who has never won an Emmy, or any other notable award. And now it was just announced that Colbert is being honored with the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy “Ripple of Hope” Award. According to their website…
“The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award honors exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights. […] This year’s laureates—Martin Cabrera, Jr., Stephen Colbert, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Stefano Lucchini, and Darren Walker—will be honored at the annual Ripple of Hope Gala on December 9 in New York City.”
This is just another thing that will drive Trump crazy(er). Not only is Colbert being recognized for his generous contributions to social justice, the honor is the name of the father of the utterly unqualified nutcase that Trump put in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services.
While Trump shamelessly begs for such honors for himself, that he doesn’t deserve, Colbert gets them unsolicited simply because he’s a good human being. Something Trump has never bothered to try or cared about. The announcement of the award for Colbert in USA Today gave some more details…
“Fresh off an Emmy win earlier this month, late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert is now being awarded for his social justice efforts.
“The nonprofit Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights on Sept. 24 named the 61-year-old comedian as one of the organization’s 2025 Ripple of Hope Award laureates. In its announcement, the center lauded ‘The Late Show’ host as ‘one of the most influential satirists of his generation,’ employing his signature wit ‘to challenge injustice.’
“‘Humor can be a catalyst for change. Stephen Colbert stands as a shining example of how speaking truth to power, boldly, wisely, and with heart, can ignite change and send ripples of hope far beyond the stage,’ RFK Human Rights President Kerry Kennedy said in the announcement.”
Trump suffers from an acute case of malignant narcissism. So it’s questionable if he even knows that he is despised by millions. But he surely knows that he has not received any recognition from reputable honors societies. Meanwhile, Colbert has three Peabody Awards, three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, and the third highest honor within the Department of the Army, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award.
No matter how many fake awards that Trump creates, he will never match the legitimate honors that Colbert has received on his merit. And that’s likely one of the reasons Trump is so determined to bring Colbert down. It aint gonna work.
The perpetual state of rage that envelopes Donald Trump is documented in the stream of incoherence that he dispenses daily on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. It is an uninterrupted temper tantrum that manifests in an outpouring of insults, lies, and shameless self-exaltation.
These days Trump is placing extra emphasis on his rants in order to deflect from news about his unsavory relationship with child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. And on Wednesday morning he suffered a particularly acute episode of explosive diarhetoric as he pounded out 37 putrid posts in the early hours of his day, rather than engage in any of the work that one might expect of a president. That’s a typical schedule for Trump, who is generally more focused on what’s pissing him off, instead of what’s pertinent to the needs of the American people. He always puts himself and his massive yet fragile ego first.
The onslaught of invective from Trump on this occasion began with a tired rehash of his hatred for Stephen Colbert. Trump complained that…
“Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true! The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT. […] Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon.”
Actually, it was Trump and his cronies who were giving him credit for the cancelation of Colbert’s show. And Trump is the last person who should be assessing the talent of others. For the record, Colbert’s show is number one in its time period. The cancelation, which isn’t effective until May of 2026, is due only to the cowardly compliance of the network’s corporate masters.
Next up was Trump’s visceral animosity toward a strong woman on Fox News who dared to criticize the blubbering snowflake Trump. He whined that…
“I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov of THE FIVE. A real loser!!! DJT”
That’s it. Trump didn’t bother to give any reason for this outburst. It might have had something to do with Tarlov having spoken out Tuesday on matters related to the inflationary Trump Tax (tariffs), or to Trump’s historically abysmal approval polling, or to her advocacy for assault rifle regulations in the wake of a mass shooting in Manhattan.
Trump simply can’t tolerate any criticism. But it’s monumentally worse if it comes from a woman. Trump has gone after Tarlov before, calling her a “failed TV personality” who Fox News should not allow on the air. Even on a program (“The five”) where she is outnumbered four-to-one. For the record, Tarlov has a doctorate in political science and government from the London School of Economics. So it’s no wonder that Trump is afraid of her.
The majority of Trump’s posts expressed his tyrannical demand that Republicans in the Senate rush to confirm his judicial nominees. He singled out Sen. Chuck Grassley for failing to overcome Democratic opposition via use of the “blue slip” that allows members of both parties to invoke a virtual veto of a nominee. But Trump resorted to his standard viciousness, saying “Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL.” He called the process “unconstitutional” and a “hoax” (of course), and lied that it would prevent him from ever getting a nominee confirmed…
“…in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, and other places, where there is, coincidentally, the highest level of crime and corruption.”
For the record, the highest levels of crime and corruption are almost entirely in red states.
Among Trump’s postings were several that were just rabidly partisan memes. They contained messages that reflected the hatred that he has for fellow Americans. But worse, he was exhibiting his most fascistic aspirations by calling for the persecution of his political foes. For instance…
This morning Trump posted these comments calling for the arrest and incarceration (and worse) of Democrats.This is more evidence of his authoritarian aspirations and aversion to hatred for democracy. #TrumpIsAFascist
All of this is more evidence of the sociopathic sickness that courses through Trump’s veins. He is a bitter, hostile, vengeful, malignant narcissist, who should never be entrusted with power. And the sooner he is removed from office the better off the nation – and the world – will be.
The history of broken democracies that descend into totalitarianism almost always begins with an aspiring dictator who lashes out at the media and seeks to muzzle any criticism from a free press that resists being censored. The honest journalists and others with the courage to speak truth to power are systematically identified and silenced.
That strategy can currently be seen playing out by Donald Trump and his neo-fascist MAGA movement. It began years ago with his frequent reference to the media in Stalinist terms as “the enemy of the people,” and continues with his recent attacks on news organizations with multibillion dollar lawsuits and threats of regulatory punishment should they defy his divine will.
Last week Stephen Colbert announced that his corporate bosses at Paramount had told him that his contract would not be renewed beyond this season that ends in May of 2026. Paramount is currently trying to complete a merger with Skydance Media that needs the approval of the Trump administration, The cancellation came as a shock to Colbert and his audience, considering that his program has been the number one rated show in its time slot for many years. And it came just two days after Colbert castigated Paramount for capitulating to Trump and agreeing to pay what Colbert called “a big fat bribe” in order to settle an entirely meritless lawsuit filed by the Litigator-in-Chief. What else did Paramount/Skydance promise Trump to secure his approval for their merger?
One person who was not shocked was Donald Trump, who rejoiced over the news, and looked forward to more of the same sort of government suppression for Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and others who dare to laugh at Trump. Which may have prompted Fox News host, Bill Hemmer, to engage with Trump’s Federal Communications (FCC) chair, Brendan Carr, about Trump’s possible role in the ousting of Colbert. Hemmer asked Carr, “Did Trump have anything to do with the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show?” And Carr gave a long-winded dodge that still managed to give Trump credit for axing the decades long, awarding winning program. Carr replied…
“Well here’s what’s important to keep in mind as a broader dynamic. When president Trump ran for reelection he ran right at the legacy broadcast media outfits and the New York and Hollywood elites that are behind it. And he smashed the facade that these are gatekeepers that can control what Americans think and what Americans can say. And once you do do that, you’ve exposed the business model of a lot of these outfits as being nothing more than a partisan circus.
That entire rant was pure, nonsensical, bullshittery. First of all, Trump may have campaigned against the media, but he won with one of the smallest margins in modern history. So he had no mandate to crush what he believed was a “partisan circus.” What’s more, neither Colbert, nor any of his colleagues, had any power as “gatekeepers” who could control what anyone thinks or says. If the American people didn’t like what they were seeing, they could always change the channel or go to bed. Instead, millions tuned in every night.
However, Carr wasn’t finished gaslighting the Fox News viewers. He eventually got around to answering the original question about whether Trump deserved credit for ridding television of Colbert. And Carr implied that he did…
“So there’s a lot of consequences that are flowing from Trump deciding ‘I’m not gonna play by the rules of politicians in the past and let these legacy outfits dictate the narrative and the terms of the debate.’ And he’s succeeding. Just look at what’s happening. NPR has been defunded. PBS has been defunded. Colbert is getting canceled. You’ve got anchors and news media personalities losing jobs. All of the is downstream of president Trump’s decision to stand up. And he stood up for the American people. Because the American people do not trust these legacy gatekeepers anymore.”
FOX: Did President Trump have anything to do with the cancelation of Colbert's show?FCC CHAIR BRENDAN CARR: When President Trump ran for election, he ran right at these legacy broadcast media outfitsFOX: I did not hear an answer
So according to Carr, Colbert’s firing was the result of “consequences” that flowed from Trump who wasn’t “gonna play by the rules” of the past, wherein viewers decided what they wanted to watch. He boasted that Trump was succeeding by defunding beloved institutions like NPR and PBS, and causing journalists to lose their jobs. Once again, giving the credit to Trump. Furthermore, Carr made the preposterous statement that all of this anti-free-press turmoil, was because Trump “stood up for the American people.”
Apparently Carr thinks that the nation was clamoring to get rid of such subversive fair as the PBS News Hour, All Things Considered, Masterpiece Theater, and Sesame Street. Even Fox’s host was less than satisfied with Carr’s respopnse, saying that “I asked you a very direct question. I did not hear a yes or a no in your answer. I heard ‘maybe.'” Although Carr did hint at his view that Trump was responsible for Colbert being cancelled. He just took the long way around to delivering a weaselly reply. Which is a skill that many in Trump World have had to master.
The bottom line here is that Trump is determined to cleanse the media of anyone who refuses to worship and obey him. And the supplicants in his administration will see to it that Trump’s will is done by any means necessary. And that’s true for his political agencies as well. Because that’s how authoritarianism works. And that’s what Trump wants. He must not be allowed to succeed.
