Stephen Colbert called himself a “martyr” and directed an explicit insult at President Donald Trump during Monday’s broadcast of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, just days after CBS confirmed it will cancel the late-night talk show in May 2026, as reported by The New York Post.

In his monologue, Colbert addressed President Trump directly, responding to a Truth Social post in which the President wrote, “I absolutely love that Colbert was fired,” and suggested that Jimmy Kimmel might be next.

Colbert fired back by telling Trump, “Go f**k yourself.”

“How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?” Colbert said before repeating the phrase to his cheering audience.

Colbert also joked that he alone was worthy of the “martyr” title among his late-night peers. “Kimmel, I am the martyr. There’s only room for one on this cross. And the view is fantastic from up here. I can see your house,” he said.

Colbert added that he plans to escalate his attacks on Trump as his show approaches its scheduled end. “They made one mistake, they left me alive. For the next 10 months, the gloves are off,” he said.

Stephen Colbert tells Pres. Trump to “GO F*CK YOURSELF”
Cry More Colbert…wonder why ad revenues were down 40% from 2018 on? And don’t worry about being the only martyr…there is plenty of room for Kimmel to be fired also. pic.twitter.com/45PEf4GmkL

— Johnny St.Pete (@JohnMcCloy) July 22, 2025

CBS announced last week that The Late Show would be discontinued in May 2026, citing financial reasons. The decision followed reports of mounting expenses and changes in viewer habits across the late-night television landscape.

The announcement came shortly after Colbert had criticized a $16 million settlement reached between Paramount Global—CBS’s parent company—and the Trump administration. The deal relates to regulatory approvals surrounding Paramount’s pending sale to Skydance Media.

During a recent episode, Colbert referred to the settlement as a “big fat bribe,” adding that it was the technical term in “legal circles.”

Colbert, 61, has long been one of President Trump’s most vocal critics in late-night television. He has frequently used his platform to target the President and his administration, often drawing attention—and backlash—for his inflammatory remarks.

The cancellation of Colbert’s show marks a significant shift in CBS’s late-night lineup, which has relied on Colbert’s tenure since 2015. It remains unclear whether CBS will replace the show with another late-night program or move in a different direction entirely.

Jon Stewart also added his thoughts on the firing:

People favorably contrast Colbert with Stewart, but they’re both overrated clowns reading words written by other people, desperate entertainers now past their prime. Even at its peak, The Daily Show was pure propaganda, a nightly smugness bacchanal
pic.twitter.com/N59qZnPiNN

— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) July 22, 2025