{"id":145,"date":"2026-05-21T08:07:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T08:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2026-05-21T08:07:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T08:07:23","slug":"a-moment-of-authoritarian-triumph-how-trump-outlasted-colbert-on-late-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=145","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A moment of authoritarian triumph\u2019: How Trump outlasted Colbert on late night"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Stephen Colbert\u2019s \u201cLate Show\u201d goes dark Thursday night, ending an 11-year run that became one of television\u2019s most sustained and high-profile attacks on Donald Trump \u2014 and that critics say was ultimately silenced because of it.<\/p>\n

Read more James Murdoch strikes deal for New York Magazine and Vox Media<\/a><\/p>\n

CBS announced last summer the show would end in May, citing economics. But the cancellation came after CBS parent Paramount paid $16 million to settle Mr. Trump\u2019s lawsuit over a \u201c60 Minutes\u201d interview, while Paramount\u2019s sale to Skydance Media awaited administration approval. Colbert called the settlement a \u201cbig fat bribe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump celebrated on Truth Social, writing he \u201cabsolutely loved\u201d that Colbert \u201cgot fired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heather Hendershot, a communications professor at Northwestern University, didn\u2019t mince words.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very clear that this was a political decision,\u201d Ms. Hendershot said. \u201cAnd I think 20, 30, 40 years later, that is going to be strongly remembered about this show \u2014 that this was a moment of authoritarian triumph.\u201d<\/p>\n

TV historians note there are few precedents. The last comparable case was 1969, when CBS canceled \u201cThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour\u201d over its Vietnam War opposition.<\/p>\n

Read more Assassination culture dominating the left<\/a><\/p>\n

The 11:35 p.m. time slot will pass to \u201cComics Unleashed,\u201d hosted by Byron Allen, who has pledged to avoid politics entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just going to be a huge void,\u201d said Lisa Rogak, author of a Colbert biography. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think anybody\u2019s going to really want to step up and fill it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Stephen Colbert\u2019s long goodbye is coming to an end, leaving a void<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times’ AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times’ original reporting, wire services, and\/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
\n<\/em><\/p>\n


\n The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
\n <\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Taiwan is the epicenter of the AI revolution<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The “Late Show” airs its final episode Thursday, canceled amid a $16 million Trump settlement and a pending merger needing White House approval. 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