Trump Calls Colbert ‘Pathetic Trainwreck,’ Demands CBS ‘Put Him to Sleep’ After Late-Night Mockery
President Donald Trump tore into late-night comedian Stephen Colbert overnight Wednesday, calling him a “pathetic trainwreck” and insisting he’s a “dead man walking,” urging CBS to “put him to sleep.”
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success,” Trump declared on his Truth Social page shortly after midnight. “Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes—A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!”
The remarks followed CBS airing a rerun of Colbert’s December 8 episode during Tuesday night’s “Kennedy Center Honors,” hosted by Trump. In his monologue, Colbert mocked Trump for taking over as the program’s host and criticized the center itself. “This year’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony is the very first since Trump installed himself as chair of the Kennedy Center’s board,” Colbert said. “It seems like the commander-in-chief shouldn’t have enough time to run a theater.”
Colbert added: “‘Mr. President, Mr. President, Russia has just launched another round of missiles. But first, dress rehearsal for ‘Oklahoma’ is underway, and the blocking is uninspired.'”
The Kennedy Center Honors show was taped on December 7—weeks before the center’s board voted to change its name to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
Meanwhile, Trump early Wednesday demanded broadcast licenses be “terminated” for networks airing programming he deemed negative to him. “If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!”
He also challenged late-night hosts: “Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!” Trump has separately attacked Jimmy Kimmel on ABC and Seth Meyers on NBC after they ridiculed him and Republicans on their programs.
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 24 December 2025 08:48 AM EST
