Bruce Springsteen didn’t hold back during the second-to-last episode of The Late Show, saying out loud exactly what host Stephen Colbert had been avoiding during his final week on air.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Before launching into his anti-ICE protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” the rock legend took direct aim at President Donald Trump and the corporate leadership of CBS’s parent company, Paramount.
Standing on stage with just an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, Springsteen addressed Colbert and the audience directly:
“I’m here in support tonight of Stephen, because you’re the first guy in America who lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke. And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want. Stephen, these are small-minded people who got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you.”
The Corporate Fallout: Why The Late Show Was Canceled
Springsteen’s blunt statement addresses the heavy speculation surrounding the abrupt cancellation of late-night’s top-rated show for nine consecutive seasons.
- The Corporate Shift: Last summer, CBS announced the cancellation, framing it strictly as a “financial decision.” However, the timing coincided perfectly with Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media—led by CEO David Ellison and backed by his billionaire father, Trump ally Larry Ellison.
- The Catalyst: Many point to events from last July, when Paramount paid a controversial $16 million settlement to Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview edit involving Kamala Harris. Colbert ruthlessly mocked the payout on air, calling it a “big fat bribe.” Days later, CBS announced his show was ending.
Springsteen’s fiery defense brought the political undertones of the cancellation directly into the spotlight, giving late-night’s most vocal satirist a true rock-and-roll send-off.
