Bruce Springsteen made an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s near-final episode of “Late Night” this past Wednesday, diving right into a critique of President Trump and the parent company of CBS, Paramount Skydance.
“I’m here to support Stephen because he’s the first person in this country to lose a show over a president who can’t handle jokes,” Springsteen remarked shortly after his introduction.
He continued, “And because Larry and David Ellison feel like they need to, well, please him to get what they want.” This was aimed at the Paramount CEO and his son.
The 76-year-old music icon also dedicated his song “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he released in January to voice opposition to Trump’s immigration policies, to anti-ICE protesters Alex Preti and Renee Goode, who were tragically killed during federal actions in the city.
Trump, who often critiques both Colbert and Springsteen, has yet to respond to their recent performance.
Colbert has been a staple on CBS for over 1,800 episodes since taking over for David Letterman in 2015, but he’s set to conclude “The Late Show” after almost 11 years on Thursday.
In August 2025, CBS’s parent company was sold to Skydance for $8.4 billion, following a lengthy negotiation process. David Ellison was appointed the new CEO of Paramount Skydance as part of the merger.
Last year, Trump labeled Colbert as “a pathetic wreck with no talent,” and in recent months, he has also targeted Springsteen.
This cancellation follows CBS’s announcement about ending Colbert’s show, which the network claimed was strictly for financial reasons, given the reported $40 million annual losses of the program.
However, critics like Letterman and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel question the sincerity of this reasoning, especially considering Paramount’s pursuit of regulatory approval for their merger.
Trump has publicly celebrated Colbert’s show being canceled, stating on Truth Social that “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic old man with no talent.”
