Bruce Springsteen defends Stephen Colbert, says Trump 'can’t take a joke'

Bruce Springsteen came to the defense of Stephen Colbert during the second-to-last episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, blaming President Donald Trump for the show’s ending.

Appearing on the May 20 episode, Springsteen told Colbert, “You are ithe first guy in America who lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke.” He also criticised Paramount executives Larry and David Ellison, accusing them of trying to appease Trump “to get what they want.”

Springsteen went on to call the executives “small-minded people” and said they “got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.”

The musician appeared on Colbert’s penultimate episode to perform his protest song Streets of Minneapolis, which references deaths linked to ICE operations during the Trump era. The track previously debuted earlier this year and topped Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart.

CBS announced in 2025 that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end after 11 seasons, officially citing financial reasons. However, the cancellation sparked backlash after Colbert publicly criticised Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump related to a 60 Minutes lawsuit while the company pursued its merger with Skydance.

Springsteen’s appearance marked one of the most politically charged moments of Colbert’s farewell week ahead of the show’s final episode airing May 21.