When it was announced in 2014 that Stephen Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of the CBS “Late Show,” reaction was mixed. Letterman, who retired after helming the talk show for 22 years, had a loyal audience. At that point, Colbert was best known for playing a satirical version of himself on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

Colbert secured his reign by being one of Trump’s sharpest, brashest critics, a standing many see as the real reason that CBS is shutting down “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” at the close of the 2025-2026 television season.