Stephen Colbert says farewell to "The Late Show": "We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years"

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U.S.
Stephen Colbert says farewell to "The Late Show": "We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years"

By Kierra Frazier
Updated on: May 22, 2026 / 7:20 AM EDT / CBS News

Stephen Colbert said goodbye to "The Late Show" Thursday night in the franchise's finale after a 33-year run, saying he was "lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years" and never took the experience for granted. ... "There is so much history here in the Ed Sullivan Theater, and we've been honored to have been just a small part of it," Colbert said in his opening monologue.

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CBS announced back in July that it would end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and retire "The Late Show" franchise at the end of this season. The company said it was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." ... That explanation was met with skepticism from some viewers and media critics, who questioned whether political motives were involved, given Colbert's outspoken criticism of President Trump.

It didn't take the president long to weigh in on the finale. Shortly before 2 a.m. Eastern Time, Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone!"

Colbert took a jab at the network during the show Thursday night when his band played "Linus and Lucy," the theme song from the "Peanuts" television special, as part of a bit about a copyright infringement lawsuit. ... "Is the band right now playing the same music I said people are being sued for, for using without permission? ... Oh no, I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money," Colbert quipped.

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