Stephen Colbert hosted the final episode of CBS's "The Late Show" on Thursday, capping an 11-year run and more than 1,800 episodes after the broadcaster axed the program last summer. Paul McCartney led an all-star finale lineup and joined Colbert on stage for a performance of "Hello, Goodbye," France 24 reported. Hours after the broadcast, 
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Colbert was "like a dead person" and "thank goodness he's finally gone," Sky News reported.
"The energy that you've given us, we sincerely need that to have done the best possible show we could have for you for the last 11 years," Colbert told the audience at the top of the show. "You've given it to us. We've given it all right back to you." McCartney appeared as a stand-in "final guest" after a running gag in which Pope Leo XIV refused to leave his dressing room because the correct snacks had not been provided.
CBS axed "The Late Show," the ratings leader in its time slot, after Colbert mocked the broadcaster over a $16m settlement it paid Trump over alleged "malicious" editing of an interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 race. The network has insisted the cancellation was financial and that the timing was coincidental with parent company Paramount's lobbying for federal approval of its $8.4bn merger with Skydance, France 24 reported. Around the same time, CBS brought in right-wing journalist Bari Weiss to run its news division.
Trump's post described Colbert as having "no talent, no ratings, no life," adding: "You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk," Sky News reported. The president has been a vocal critic of late-night hosts on major networks for years, France 24 reported.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
