• David Letterman criticized CBS for cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
• Jon Stewart accused CBS of financial manipulation related to the Trump administration.
• Many late-night hosts expressed solidarity with Colbert after the announcement.

David Letterman has publicly criticized CBS following its announcement to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," a franchise he initiated over 30 years ago. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Letterman quipped, “You can’t spell CBS without BS,” referring to the network's decision, which CBS claims was a "purely financial decision" against a challenging backdrop for late-night programming, according to HuffPost.

Jon Stewart echoed Letterman’s sentiments during an episode of "The Daily Show," emphasizing that CBS's rationale for the cancellation may mask ulterior motives, particularly to appease the Trump administration. Stewart remarked, “The fact that CBS didn’t try to save their number one rated network late-night franchise… makes everybody wonder, was this purely financial?” This remark references the $16 million settlement CBS reached with Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris, further raising suspicions about the motives behind the cancellation, according to The Hill and Business Insider.

Later that day, during an episode of "The Late Show," Colbert himself acknowledged the cancellation, thanking colleagues and reflecting on his show’s legacy. He asserted, "They left me alive," implying that CBS made a strategic error in cancelling such a popular figure. Colbert has been critical of both CBS and Trump, and during the show, he directly responded to Trump's derogatory comments on social media, saying, “How dare you, sir?” This illustrates the volatile intersection of comedy and politics as the show heads toward its final episode in May 2026, according to Newsweek.

Others in the entertainment industry have also expressed discontent. Andy Cohen stated that CBS is "cooked," indicating that the network has fundamentally failed by not trying to salvage a show pivotal to its late-night lineup. He criticized CBS's decision-making process, suggesting they could have cut costs instead of outright cancelling the show, according to The Hill.

Actress Sandra Oh joined the outcry, stating her outrage during a guest appearance on "The Late Show," highlighting the implications of such cancellations for free speech in the media. She ominously declared, “A plague on both your houses,” as she took a stand in support of Colbert, further amplifying the backlash against CBS's decision, according to The Hill.