John,
Stephen Colbert has been one of the sharpest voices holding Donald Trump and the MAGA movement accountable since 2015. He’s used his platform to satirize corruption, call out abuse of power, and speak the truth when politicians betray the people.
Now, Colbert is being punished for everything that made him successful in the first place. Just three days after he mocked a $16 million settlement between CBS’s parent company, Paramount and Donald Trump, a payment that is a clear political bribe, CBS announced it will cancel The Late Show next May.
The Late Show leads late-night ratings. Colbert has built a loyal audience by doing exactly what we need media figures to do, challenge those in power, ask hard questions, and laugh in the face of authoritarianism. That’s why Trump has attacked him for years. And now, as Paramount seeks Trump administration approval for an $8 billion merger, Colbert suddenly finds himself out of a job. The message couldn’t be clearer.
If CBS and Paramount think the public won’t notice, if they believe they can trade media freedom for merger approvals without consequence, they’re wrong. We’re not staying silent while they purge a powerful critic just to appease a MAGA government.
Watch the clip of Colbert calling out CBS’s Trump deal. Then join the movement to defend his voice and protect what’s left of our independent media.
When political pressure determines who gets to speak, when a critic like Colbert is tossed aside to smooth a corporate deal, we lose something much bigger than late-night comedy, we lose a piece of the democratic infrastructure that holds truth to power.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called the timing “blatantly political.” Senator Bernie Sanders said it’s “no coincidence” and called out CBS for caving after Colbert exposed the Trump settlement. Representative Adam Schiff demanded answers. These are real leaders recognizing our right to have media outlets that serve the public, not the president.
We need to move fast. Journalists are reporting this story now. Every signature and every voice added to this fight builds pressure on CBS. Let them know the public is watching, and we will not allow this to stand unchallenged.
Tell CBS that America needs Stephen Colbert’s voice now more than ever. Save The Late Show.
Let’s make it clear to CBS and every media exec watching that the public will not sit quietly while democracy gets traded away for a merger deal.
- DFA AF Team
