Stephen Colbert signed off after 11 years on CBS Thursday night, closing one chapter of American late-night television, only for United States (US) President Donald Trump to mark the occasion by posting an AI-generated video of himself throwing the comedian into a dumpster.
Colbert’s finale kept politics off the table entirely, leaning into celebrity cameos and musical performances instead. The episode ended with Paul McCartney joining him onstage for a rendition of “Hello, Goodbye” a send-off that had little to do with the culture wars Colbert spent over a decade waging on The Late Show.
Paramount, the parent company of CBS, cited financial reasons for pulling the plug on the show, though the decision drew suspicion given the network’s merger talks and its relationship with Trump.
Trump, however, was not about to let the moment pass quietly. He shared a clip on Truth Social showing an animated version of himself walking up behind Colbert during the taping of his final episode, lifting him up and tossing him into a large trash bin.
The White House’s official X account reposted the video with the caption, “Bye-bye”. Trump also posted himself separately, saying that Colbert was “finished at CBS” and claiming his exit signalled “the beginning of the end” for late-night hosts who are critical about him.
The response online was swift.
“This is not a parody account, this is the President of the United States using AI to mock one of his most popular critics and claim victory after forcing CBS to shut his show down,” one user wrote on X, before adding: “For Stephen Colbert, this is the best goodbye he could have hoped for — imagine the president gatecrashing your party”.
Others were less generous toward Trump. “He’s using AI because he can’t beat him in real life,” one person posted. Another put it more bluntly: “Donald Trump is so petty”.
Several users raised the possibility of legal consequences. “This will help Stephen Colbert and everyone else who sues the Trump administration for First Amendment violations,” one wrote, while another said Colbert “should start calling his lawyers for defamation”.
Some saw the video as a sign of something beyond personal rivalry. “The president cancelling TV shows he doesn’t like and memeing about it on social media is a dystopian nightmare. Ten years ago, the very thought of this would have been uncontroversially anti-American,” one person stated.
Many made clear they were not done with Colbert. “I’m waiting for the comeback of Stephen Colbert because that one isn’t going to let it slide,” one comment read. Another added: “I’ll take Stephen Colbert over any Trump, any time, any place”.
