CBS announced the upcoming cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, prompting several Democrat lawmakers to suggest political motivations behind the decision.

The network attributed the move to financial considerations, but comments from senators and left-wing figures speculated that the Trump administration may have influenced the outcome.

On Thursday, host Stephen Colbert confirmed that The Late Show would end after May 2026, with CBS deciding not to renew the program for another season.

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A spokesperson for CBS described the decision as a “purely financial” one.

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The announcement sparked immediate reaction from Democrat senators, some of whom linked the show’s cancellation to recent criticism Colbert had aimed at CBS’ parent company, Paramount.

Just days before the announcement, Colbert referenced the company’s $16 million legal settlement with President Donald Trump over a 2024 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote.

“America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.”

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Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) echoed Warren’s remarks in a post on X, writing, “If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”

“CBS sells out… again,” added Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), also posting to X.

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Online, several liberal commentators and users shared similar sentiments.

Film journalist Daniel Howat wrote, “This is a political favor to Trump, plain and simple.”

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Another user on X questioned, “It’s a complete coincidence that this comes on the heels of CBS bowing to Trump’s demands and Colbert mocking them for it?”

Additional posts accused CBS of retaliation against Colbert for criticizing Trump.

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“So, we’re all pretty much agreed that CBS cancelled The Late Show because Mr. Colbert calls out Trump’s bullshit, right?” wrote one user.

However, critics of Colbert pushed back against the political angle, suggesting that the show was canceled due to its waning relevance and declining ratings.

“Colbert abandoned the precious gift of making everyone laugh in favor of nasty pandering to deranged leftists,” said radio and television host Buck Sexton.

“It was selfish and cowardly. He richly deserves the cancellation of his shitty show.”

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Another user posted, “If you can look at this photo and still not understand why Colbert was canceled, you’re in the mother of all political bubbles,” referencing a screenshot of a 2021 segment in which Colbert performed a musical number about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Some critics mocked Schiff’s concern by targeting Colbert’s viewership.

“Colbert is barely drawing 2.0 ratings. His share of the 18-49 demographic is 200k. Mid-tier YouTubers triple that,” one X user wrote.

“He didn’t get canceled for ‘political reasons.’ He got canceled because Late Night TV is deader than Elvis.”

Others made light of the reaction from Democrat lawmakers. “If Stephen Colbert can’t get paid millions to make bad jokes on TV anymore, our democracy is already lost,” one user joked.

Another added, “The complete lack of self-awareness is funnier than Colbert ever was.”

According to a report from Breitbart News, the cancellation of The Late Show reflects a broader trend in the decline of traditional late-night television.

As streaming platforms and independent content creators gain popularity among younger audiences, long-running network talk shows have seen steep drops in viewership and cultural relevance.

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