Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is wading into the backlash surrounding The Late Show’s cancellation with nasty insults.
Carr took to X Tuesday morning to mock the “partisan left,” whom he accused of “ritualist wailing and gnashing of teeth” over Paramount’s choice to cancel the long-running CBS late-night show.
“They’re acting like they’re losing a loyal DNC spokesperson that was entitled to an exemption from the laws of economics,” wrote Carr.
Carr, whose agency will oversee Paramount’s upcoming $8 billion merger attempt, was largely echoing the president when he addressed the controversial cancelation.
Trump was quick to celebrate the end of The Late Show, writing on Truth Social, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”
Tuesday, the president followed up his initial celebration with a threat, claiming he had “strong word” late night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel would be next on the chopping block.
On Friday, Paramount announced it had cancelled the CBS late night series after 32 years, citing “financial reasons.” The company claimed, via leaks, that Colbert’s show was losing the network roughly $40 million a year.
The decision quickly received massive backlash, with critics skeptical of the timing and Paramount’s vague justification for getting rid of Colbert, one of Trump’s most vocal critics.
Just three weeks before the cancellation, Paramount settled a massive lawsuit with President Trump over a 2024 60 Minutes segment with Kamala Harris, which Trump had claimed was “deceptively edited.” Paramount ultimately agreed to pay $16 million to Trump’s presidential library.
Carr’s tweet about the “partisan left” comes after Senator Elizabeth Warren launched an investigation into whether the settlement violated anti-bribery laws. Paramount is currently attempting an $8 billion merger with media company Skydance, which would require FCC approval.
Paramount has maintained that its merger is “completely separate” from its settlement. However, in an interview last year, Carr openly threatened to cancel the merger over the 60 Minutes segment.
Meanwhile, Colbert, who had previously called the Paramount settlement a “big fat bribe,” used Monday night’s episode of The Late Show to allege the cancellation was more closely related to appeasing Trump than to saving money.
In a segment featuring Fallon, Kimmel, and fellow late night hosts Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Jon Stewart, Colbert recreated the viral Coldplay kiss cam meme with a cartoon of Trump embracing the Paramount logo, a reference to the bribery allegations.
Elsewhere in the broadcast, Colbert addressed the president directly, responding to his Truth Social post with a succinct, “Go f--- yourself.”
President Trump’s Tuesday morning Truth Social post seemed to be a response to Colbert’s segment. He tacitly took credit for playing a role in Colbert’s cancellation on Tuesday morning, while warning that Fallon and Kimmel could meet the same fate.
“These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television,” wrote Trump. “It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”
