Dear MoveOn member,

CBS has shockingly announced that it is cancelling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"—just days after Stephen Colbert criticized on air the recent settlement between President Donald Trump and Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, calling it a "big, fat bribe."¹

This cancellation is deeply suspect: More than 2 million viewers tune in every night, making it the top-rated late-night show on air. And Colbert has been hosting this show for nearly a decade.

This is a moment when we need all institutions—including media companies—to realize their role in resisting the corruption, abuse, and overreach of a federal government. Media companies do have a duty to support independent voices without government interference. Unfortunately, that's not what we’re seeing right now.

We need Colbert's bold and frank commentary now as much as ever, and we need corporations like CBS to not cower to political intimidation of the Trump administration. Will you sign the petition to demand that CBS reverse this politically motivated decision and keep Colbert on air?

Tell CBS: Reverse your decision. Do NOT cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

During the 2024 presidential campaign, both Kamala Harris and Trump agreed to do an interview with "60 Minutes." But when Trump abruptly backed out, Harris continued with the interview.² Trump retaliated by suing the media company for $20 billion for the editing of the segment, claiming “mental anguish” and damage to his status as a "content creator."³

Paramount Global and CBS originally made it clear that Trump’s lawsuit was "meritless," meant to punish a news organization simply for making editorial decisions that Trump dislikes.⁴ And the Freedom of Press Foundation called it "a thinly veiled effort to launder bribes through the court system."⁵

But that didn’t stop CBS from settling earlier this month for $16 million, sending a disturbing message to independent media and the general public.⁶ Furthermore, CBS’s parent conglomerate is pursuing a merger subject to federal oversight—one of the reasons observers have cited for why they capitulated and struck a deal.⁷ And now, on the heels of that unpopular decision, CBS has cancelled Colbert's late-night show, where he has been a frequent critic of Trump.

CBS has forgotten whom it answers to: its viewers. And viewers want Colbert to stay on air. Add your name to the petition to put the public pressure on CBS to keep "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Members of Congress, including Senator Adam Schiff and Senator Elizabeth Warren, have speculated whether Colbert's criticism of CBS's settlement with Trump influenced the network's decision. Meanwhile, Trump celebrated the announcement, stating on Truth Social, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired."⁸

Just the implication that prominent political media figures like Colbert are being silenced or punished for their commentary against the government could have a chilling ripple effect. Which is why we need to speak out now to make it clear that we won’t remain silent as Trump intimidates, bullies, and bribes his way into controlling the public narrative.

The ability to speak out against the government, expose corruption, or criticize big corporations is foundational to our democracy. Sign the petition and then share it with three friends to tell CBS not to cancel Colbert!

Thanks for all you do.

–Aliya, Justin, Corinne, Kelsey, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "'A big fat bribe': Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart's fury at parent Paramount’s $16 million Trump settlement," Fortune, July 16, 2025
https://fortune.com/2025/07/16/stephen-colbert-jon-stewart-paramount-16-million-trump-settlement-big-fat-bribe/

2. "Trump lawyer: Pre-election '60 Minutes' segment caused president 'mental anguish,'" MSNBC, May 30, 2025
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-lawyer-pre-election-60-minutes-segment-caused-president-mental-a-rcna210002

3. Ibid.

4. "CBS Reiterates Claim That Trump’s '60 Minutes' Lawsuit Is 'Meritless,’' Refutes President's Assertion Edited Interview Was 'Commercial Speech,'" Variety, June 23, 2025
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-reply-trump-60-minutes-lawsuit-meritless-1236438424/

5. "We plan to sue if Paramount settles with Trump over CBS lawsuit," Freedom of the Press Foundation, May 23, 2025
https://freedom.press/issues/we-plan-to-sue-if-paramount-settles-with-trump-over-cbs-lawsuit/

6. "'A big fat bribe': Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart's fury at parent Paramount's $16 million Trump settlement," Fortune, July 16, 2025
https://fortune.com/2025/07/16/stephen-colbert-jon-stewart-paramount-16-million-trump-settlement-big-fat-bribe/

7. "CBS cancels Colbert's Late Show amid pending Paramount-Skydance merger," Al Jazeera, July 18, 2025
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/7/18/cbs-cancels-colberts-late-show-amid-pending-paramount-skydance-merger

8. "Trump says he 'absolutely loves' that CBS canceled Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show,'" USA Today, July 18, 2025
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/18/trump-stephen-colbert-late-show-cancelled/85272168007/

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