President Donald Trump posted threats against late-night television hosts on Truth Social late Sunday following the final episode of Stephen Colbert's program.
The posts signal an escalation in the president's public conflict with broadcast networks and comedians who frequently satirize his administration. This friction comes as the landscape of late-night television undergoes significant shifts in programming and viewership.
Trump posted the messages around 2 a.m. ET [1]. He said the conclusion of Colbert's show was "the beginning of the end for late-night TV hosts" [2] and added, "May they all rest in peace" [3].
In additional posts, Trump characterized the hosts as "untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny and very poorly rated" [4]. The president also expressed frustration regarding a Peabody Award given to Jimmy Kimmel [5].
Beyond his critique of the entertainment industry, Trump referenced a recent health report, which he described as "suspicious" [6]. These comments followed a series of public disputes between the president and various broadcast networks over coverage and content.
Trump said the posts were a response to Colbert's cancellation [7]. The president has frequently used his social media platform to target media personalities and networks that he perceives as biased or unfair in their reporting and comedic commentary.
“"This is the beginning of the end for late-night TV hosts."”
These remarks reflect a continuing pattern of the president using direct-to-consumer social media to challenge the legitimacy of traditional media institutions. By framing the end of a specific program as a broader decline for the industry, the president is attempting to delegitimize the influence of late-night satire on public perception.
