Veteran reporter Bill Carter made a bold claim about President Donald Trump‘s role in Stephen Colbert‘s late-night exit. The longtime TV journalist pointed to specific evidence he believes proves direct presidential involvement in the show’s cancellation.
Donald Trump ‘involved’ in Stephen Colbert cancellation, reporter claims
Veteran TV reporter Bill Carter claims President Donald Trump was “personally involved” in getting Stephen Colbert’s late-night show canceled (via FOX News).
Carter made the assertion on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Saturday, citing Trump’s response to the series finale as evidence. Trump’s official X account posted an AI-generated video showing him grabbing Colbert and throwing him into a dumpster. The clip featured Trump dancing to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” afterward.
“Certainly the idea that he throws a man in the dumpster at the end of it indicates that he was personally involved,” Carter said. The reporter, who wrote the book “The Late Shift,” argued the situation reflects a broader threat to free speech. He stated that the Trump administration actively sought to silence a critic.
“The government was pushing to get rid of this man because he was a critic,” Carter said. He added that such actions are “so alien to our values” and called the situation something Americans “are going to have to deal with on an ongoing basis.” Carter also accused CBS of surrendering its editorial independence under pressure from the Trump administration. He pointed to the network’s settlement in Trump’s lawsuit against “60 Minutes” as a turning point.
“I think CBS, when they capitulated in the lawsuit that Trump filed against ’60 Minutes,’ was sending a signal that they’re not going to be the independent journalism outfit that they should be,” Carter said.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” aired its final episode on May 21. CBS announced the cancellation last summer, citing financial issues. Reports indicated the show was losing the network approximately $40 million annually. Colbert, however, frequently denied the financial reasoning behind the decision. A Media Research Center study found Colbert made 3,639 jokes about Trump from January 2023 until the show ended.
