The closing chapter of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has already been marked by nostalgia and reflection in entertainment media. But this week it also drew a blistering response from the White House, adding a sharp political edge to the show’s final months.
On Thursday, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a harsh assessment of Colbert on social media platform X, delivering a blunt and personal attack on the longtime late-night host. In the post, Cheung described Colbert as “a sad and pathetic excuse for a human being,” an unusually direct rebuke from a senior administration official aimed at a television entertainer.
Cheung’s criticism appeared to reference recent coverage about Colbert’s final season on CBS. A Variety column by television critic Daniel D’Addario had discussed the tone surrounding the program’s upcoming conclusion, noting the steady stream of praise and tributes directed at Colbert as the show approaches its final broadcast.
According to D’Addario, the wave of admiration surrounding the host may not be entirely organic. The column suggested that emotional reactions from guests and media figures could be influenced by Colbert’s own team, observing that “the endless bouquets being tossed Colbert’s way have started to make the studio smell a bit cloying.” The remark captured a growing sense among some observers that the farewell narrative surrounding the show has become overly sentimental.
Stephen Colbert is a sad and pathetic excuse for a human being. He’s kicking and screaming like a baby because he’s an entitled prick who has lost touch with reality. The fact is that he will soon be forgotten because nobody likes a loser who killed the legacy of The Late Show. https://t.co/uRcFgodmqA
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) March 12, 2026
CBS confirmed in July that The Late Show would be canceled after its current season, describing the move as a financial decision. The announcement came just one week before the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger between Paramount and Skydance, the media company led by David Ellison. While CBS framed the cancellation as a business matter tied to shifting economics in late-night television, the timing sparked broader speculation about the future direction of the network.
Colbert’s final episode is scheduled to air on May 21, bringing to a close nearly a decade of his tenure as host. Since taking over the program in 2015 following David Letterman’s retirement, Colbert transformed the show into one of the most politically oriented programs in late-night television, often targeting conservative politicians and figures in his monologues.
The program’s end reflects a broader transformation underway across the entertainment industry. Traditional late-night television has struggled in recent years as younger audiences increasingly gravitate toward streaming platforms, podcasts, and short-form online content rather than scheduled network programming.
That shift has reshaped the late-night landscape, forcing networks to reevaluate the cost and relevance of shows that once dominated late-evening television. For decades, programs like The Late Show, The Tonight Show, and Late Night were central fixtures of American pop culture. Today, they face mounting competition from digital creators and platforms that operate outside the traditional broadcast model.
