Stephen Colbert and late night hosts strike again as his show nears finale

"“Late night is in a bit of a weird spot right now spoiler alert,” Colbert said. “The five of us being here right now, obviously, it's dangerous because we represent so much of late night. Jon Stewart is designated survivor. Someone has to survive for the president to be mad at,” referencing the frequent host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show."

"Colbert's final show will air on May 21; CBS canceled him months ago, citing financial reasons. But many fans think the reason is political, as Colbert has continuously skewered President Trump. He spent most of his monologue last night making fun of Trump."

"During his monologue, soon after, Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was trying to score political points from the Kirk killing. More recently, President Trump called for Kimmel to be canceled after the host made what Kimmel described as a “light roast” about first lady Melania Trump."

"During last night's show, Kimmel called out fans for not reacting to Colbert's cancellation by ditching their subscriptions to Paramount Plus. “When I got knocked off the air for a few days, people canceled Disney+,” quipped Kimmel, who was temporarily taken off the air by Disney and ABC amidst conservative backlash over comments he made in the aftermath of the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk."

Stephen Colbert invited fellow late night hosts John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon to join him as his CBS/Paramount Plus show winds down. Colbert’s final episode featured a reunion of the “Strike Force Five,” the name used for their podcast together three years earlier. Colbert joked that late night is in a “weird spot” and referenced Jon Stewart as a “designated survivor.” CBS canceled Colbert months earlier for financial reasons, while many fans suspected political motives tied to his frequent criticism of President Trump. Kimmel criticized viewers who did not cancel Paramount Plus after Colbert’s removal and referenced earlier subscription cancellations. The hosts also referenced political backlash affecting other late night figures, including calls to cancel Kimmel after comments about Melania Trump.

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