Colbert Cancelled After Paramount Paid Trump $16M to Approve Merger — "A Big, Fat Bribe"
Paramount paid $16M to settle Trump's lawsuit, clearing FCC approval for its merger. Colbert called it "a big, fat bribe." 48 hours later, CBS cancelled his show. Trump celebrated: "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired." The Writers Guild demanded a bribery investigation.
On July 2, 2025, Paramount settled Trump's lawsuit over a "60 Minutes" interview for $16 million — clearing a path for FCC approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger. On July 14, Stephen Colbert called the settlement "a big, fat bribe" on air. Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, CBS announced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026.
Trump celebrated on Truth Social: "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings." He added: "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next."
The sequence was damning: a media company paid the president $16 million to settle a lawsuit, received regulatory approval for its merger, and then cancelled the show whose host had called the payment a bribe. CBS claimed it was "purely a financial decision."
The Writers Guild of America called for the New York State Attorney General to investigate Paramount for potential bribery. Senator Elizabeth Warren also characterized the settlement as bribery. Colbert later said it was "reasonable" to think the cancellation was political.
On his return show, Colbert appeared in an on-screen frame labeled "Eloquence Cam," stared into the camera, and said: "Go fuck yourself."