Radio host Charlamagne tha God criticized the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert during his Friday episode of The Breakfast Club, calling it an act of authoritarianism linked to President Donald Trump.
Colbert announced Thursday that CBS would be ending his late-night show in the spring of 2026. His announcement drew boos from the live studio audience and backlash from his progressive supporters.
The announcement comes shortly after CBS and its parent company Paramount reached a settlement with Trump. The former president had sued them for “election interference” over an edited 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.
On The Breakfast Club, Charlamagne designated CBS and Paramount as the show’s “Donkey of the Day,” while acknowledging his professional ties to Paramount.
Charlamagne noted the timing of the cancellation — just three days after Colbert publicly called the Paramount-Trump settlement a “big, fat bribe” — and questioned the motives behind the decision.
“It’s so obvious that Paramount is doing this to appease Donald Trump,” he said. “Paramount cut a $16 million check to Donald Trump so they can get their merger approved and keep the FCC off their backs.”
He described the settlement as