I’ve always wondered about the timing of “The Late Show”‘s cancellation. After all, the news came just weeks before avowed Trump supporters Larry and David Ellison completed their acquisition of the late-night series’ parent company, Paramount Global, and the president gleefully celebrated the death of his frequent critic.
“I’m so glad Colbert was fired. He was even less talented than he was given credit for. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. He was even less talented than Colbert!” the president posted on Truth Social.
Colbert has refrained from directly criticizing the Ellisons (and Trump) for their disparagement on his show, but he has chosen to let his guests speak during the final weeks of “The Late Show.” His predecessor, David Letterman, threw furniture from the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater onto the CBS logo. Robert De Niro attacked Trump over millions of missing Epstein files. Then, joining De Niro on the penultimate “Late Show” episode, Bruce Springsteen introduced “Streets of Minneapolis,” an anti-Trump anthem about Trump deploying ICE across the country with haymakers.
“Tonight, I’m here to cheer you on, Stephen, because you’re the first person in America to lose a show because we have a president who can’t get the jokes,” Springsteen said.
He then directed his anger at the Ellisons, adding, “And because Larry and David Ellison feel like they need to kiss Ellison’s ass to get what they want. Anyway, Stephen, they’re small-minded people. They have no idea what freedom in this country is supposed to be. This is for you.”
Springsteen performed his sombre new national anthem, “Streets of Minneapolis,” with messages of “resistance,” “truth” and “hope,” in front of an image of the American flag projected onto a brick wall behind him.
“President Trump’s federal thugs punched him in the face and chest, then gunshots were heard, and Alex Preti was lying dead in the snow,” he sang. “Their claim was self-defense, sir, don’t believe it. It’s our blood and bones and whistles and phones against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies.”
