<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Late night host Stephen Colbert insists that he’s only an insufferable partisan hack because a producer told him to be one.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The host of “The Late Show,” which will be airing its final episode next month after years of losing money and falling ratings, said as much during a recently published <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/business/media/stephen-colbert-late-night-show.html">interview</a> with The New York Times. Colbert said that he was &#8220;discouraged by the network from being topical&#8221; when he first joined as host.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was my instinct to be less topical, because I didn’t want to have to engage with what I saw was an increasingly contentious public discourse,” Colbert told the outlet. “And I thought, ‘Aren’t there other ways to have fun with the audience?’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The comedian gained notoriety hosting the Comedy Central news satire show “The Colbert Report” from 2005 until 2014. He took over hosting “The Late Show” in 2015 following David Letterman’s departure.  </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Colbert said the 2016 party conventions were a turning point for him to return to his political background in his new gig, with the outlet claiming that ratings &#8220;soared&#8221; after he started outright Trump bashing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Clint Eastwood in ‘Unforgiven,’ or is it some other movie? He buried his guns. And I’m like, you know, I buried those damn guns. I was talking to Paul Dinello — he’s one of my oldest friends and one of my producers here — and he’s like, ‘You’re having fun, and people love to see that.’ And I said, ‘But that means I got to go dig up the guns.’ And he says, ‘Buddy, that’s the part the audience wants to see.’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Colbert has been vocally opposed to CBS </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-trump-late-night-host-stephen-colbert-reveals-date-of-final-show?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Anti-Trump+Late-Night+Host+Stephen+Colbert+Reveals+Date+Of+Final+Show"><span style="font-weight: 400;">deciding to pull the plug</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on the show, which they say was “purely a financial decision.” One report stated that the program was losing $40 million annually.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The political commentator went on to blame the format rather than the content of the show.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s possible that two things can be true,” Colbert told NYT. “Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They’ve got the books, and I do not have any desire to debate them over what they say their business model is and how it does not work for them anymore. But less than two years before they called to say it’s over, they were very eager for me to be signed for a long time. So, something changed.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last episode of “The Late Show” will air on May 21.</span></p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Colbert Blames Producer For Turning ‘Late Show’ Into Left-Wing Lecture Hour

CONTINUE READING

Fan-Favorite Actress Details Harrowing And ‘Breathtakingly Glorious’ Taylor Sheridan TV Set

America Waves Goodbye To Stephen Colbert As Trump Lands A Final Parting Shot

Hollywood’s Latest Race-Swap Debate Centers On Iconic Cartoon Character

Shane Gillis Gives Savage Response After Chelsea Handler Calls Him ‘Racist’

Billy Joel Is Really Mad About The Movie Coming Out About Him

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Star Reveals What Led To His Decade-Long Interview Refusal

Entertainment

comedian

Stephen Colbert

Television

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— Entertainment —

Colbert Blames Producer For Turning ‘Late Show’ Into Left-Wing Lecture Hour