The long-standing rivalry between Donald Trump and Stephen Colbert reached its final chapter last night as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert aired its series finale on CBS.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!True to form, Trump wasted no time taking a public victory lap, celebrating the sign-off of his most persistent late-night critic.
The Backdrop of the Finale
The final episode wrapped up an 11-year run for Colbert at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. The show’s ending followed a period of intense corporate shifts at CBS’s parent company, Paramount, which included a highly publicized legal settlement with Trump over a 60 Minutes interview. While Colbert previously joked about the corporate politics behind the scenes, Trump took to social media to gleefully boast about the show’s impending conclusion.
Colbert’s Swan Song: The “Joy Machine”
Despite the off-screen tension, Colbert’s final broadcast was structured as a celebratory send-off. Rather than dwelling on the politics, the episode focused on looking back at the show’s legacy.
- The Opening: Colbert thanked his crew and fans, famously describing the program as a “joy machine.”
- Star-Studded Cameos: The episode featured appearances from high-profile guests, including Ryan Reynolds, Bryan Cranston, and long-time friend Jon Stewart, who joined in to send Colbert off.
- The Musical Goodbye: Rock legend Paul McCartney appeared as the final guest. The show concluded with Colbert, McCartney, Jon Batiste, and Elvis Costello performing a joint rendition of “Hello, Goodbye.”
A Shift in the Late-Night Landscape
With Colbert’s departure, CBS is moving away from the traditional high-budget late-night format in that time slot, transitioning to syndicated comedy programming. The finale marks the definitive end of an era for political late-night satire, leaving Trump to claim a symbolic final word over his longest-running comedic nemesis.
