The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was recently announced to be ending in May 2026 after a 33-year run. Since then, people have speculated whether the talk show host was fired. A social media user intensified the speculation by claiming that CBS axed Colbert from his show for criticizing Donald Trump. Now, former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has weighed in on the late-night talk show’s conclusion and addressed whether CBS fired Colbert.
So, has Stephen Colbert been fired from The Late Show by CBS? Here’s the record set straight.
Has Stephen Colbert been fired from The Late Show by CBS?
No, Stephen Colbert was not fired from The Late Show by CBS.
On Saturday, July 19, 2025, a netizen took to X (Twitter) and claimed that CBS pulled the comedian and political commentator from his show for criticizing Donald Trump, just two days after the network revealed that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026. They claimed that Colbert’s firing was a sign that the United States has become a fascist country.
“We are officially at the ‘pulling comedians off the air who criticize our dear leader’ phase of fascism.”
Keith Olbermann debunked the user’s claim that CBS fired Stephen Colbert. He noted that if that was the case, Colbert wouldn’t remain on his show till May next year. Olbermann wrote, “Sorry. That’s not what happened here. If it had, they wouldn’t be keeping him on until next MAY.”
Despite Olbermann’s claims, Trump himself believes that Colbert got fired. He expressed his belief in a Truth Social post. In the post, he not only shared his elation for what he believed was Colbert’s firing, but also anticipated that Jimmy Kimmel was next in line. The president opined that Kimmel had “even less talent” compared to Colbert and shared that Gutfield! host Greg Gutfield was better than Kimmel and Colbert, as well as “the moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show,” combined. The “moron” in question is Jimmy Fallon.
Following the announcement of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s conclusion in May 2026, left-wing politicians and journalists reacted strongly, alleging his firing was politically motivated. Three days before CBS announced the cancellation, Colbert slammed the network for giving $16 million to Trump. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders alleged via X that Colbert’s firing after his criticism wasn’t a “coincidence.”
