Jon Stewart criticizes CBS over Colbert cancellation and questions network’s motives amid Trump-linked merger

Jon Stewart slams CBS for canceling Stephen Colbert’s show, linking decision to merger and Trump settlement concerns.

Jon Stewart used Monday’s episode of The Daily Show to sharply criticize CBS’s recent decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, calling out the network for not protecting its highest-rated late-night program. Stewart questioned whether the move was purely financial or a strategic decision linked to CBS’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.

“Was this purely financial,” Stewart asked, “or the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger?” He accused CBS and its parent company Paramount Global of backing away from politically charged content to avoid angering Donald Trump. “If you believe you can make yourselves so innocuous, so flavorless... you are f**king wrong,” Stewart said.

CBS attributed the cancellation to financial difficulties, citing rising production costs and declining advertising revenue across late-night programming. However, critics have pointed to the recent $16 million settlement between Paramount Global and Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview, as well as a reported “side deal” that would see CBS air PSAs tied to Trump’s agenda. Stewart previously called the settlement “shameful.”

Several fellow hosts expressed public support for Colbert. Jimmy Kimmel responded with “Love you Stephen. F**k you (…) CBS.” Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon posted reactions on Instagram, while John Oliver described the decision as “terrible news for the world of comedy.”

Stephen Colbert, who began hosting The Late Show in 2015 and first gained prominence as a correspondent on Stewart’s Daily Show in 1995, has not publicly commented since the announcement. The show’s cancellation is scheduled for May 2026, just months before Colbert’s contract ends in December.

Stewart’s remarks reflect broader concerns within the entertainment industry about the future of politically pointed comedy under increasing corporate consolidation.