Charlie Kirk mocks Stephen Colbert amid The Late Show cancellation with a take that’s anything but kind

Charlie Kirk, MAGA podcaster and supporter of President Donald Trump, took a dig at The Late Show's long-time host Stephen Colbert in an X post he tweeted on July 17, 2025. Kirk attached a video of Colbert promoting vaccines in a segment of the talk show called 'The Vax Scene.' In the post, Kirk wrote:

"Stephen Colbert was so unfunny he killed The Late Show. Great job."

Stephen Colbert was so unfunny he killed The Late Show.

Great job. pic.twitter.com/omReA20cDC

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 17, 2025

This jab comes amid CBS's decision to retire The Late Show franchise, as reported by Deadline on July 17, 2025. Colbert, a strong critic of President Trump, also addressed this news during the taping of his Thursday night program. He said:

"Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May. [...] It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of the Late Show on CBS. I'm not being replaced, this is all just going away."

For those unversed, Charlie Kirk is a right-wing activist and the founder and president of Turning Point USA. It is a conservative nonprofit organization that focuses on youth political activism.

Has Charlie Kirk ever been a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?

Charlie Kirk has never been a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Kirk hosts a daily three-hour radio talk show, called The Charlie Kirk Show, syndicated by Salem Media. However, he is not known to have appeared on any episodes of The Late Show.

Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled.

If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.

— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) July 17, 2025

On the other hand, Democrat Senator Adam Schiff, who recently went for a taping of the late-night talk show, also took to X on July 17, 2025, to suggest that the show's cancellation might be politically motivated. In the post, Schiff wrote:

"Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled. If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better."

Why is CBS cancelling The Late Show franchise?

In the above-mentioned Deadline article, it was reported that CBS executives have said that this decision was made purely based on financial reasons and has nothing to do with "the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."

In a statement announcing the show's cancellation, George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and president and Chief Executive Officer of CBS; Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment; and David Stapf, president of CBS Studios, said:

"We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television."

The news is shocking for many and has come days after Colbert called out Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement of Donald Trump’s lawsuit. Whether or not the show was affected due to the host's political stance remains unclear. The cancellation aligns with the end of Colbert’s contract, which runs through May 2026. That said, Deadline has speculated that Colbert might take over The Daily Show, as Jon Stewart's contract to host that show ends this year.