Keith Olbermann pours cold water on claims Colbert was fired for political reasons

Ex-MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has weighed in on whether Stephen Colbert was canceled by CBS for political reasons, throwing cold water on the theory he was axed for his criticism of Trump. 

“Sorry. That’s not what happened here. If it had, they wouldn’t be keeping him on until next MAY,” Olbermann said in a post on X.

CBS announced they’d canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday, stating that the over 30-year-long franchise would come to an end in May 2026 with no subsequent host taking over following Colbert’s departure. The show was previously hosted by David Letterman from 1992-2015. 

Keith Olbermann poured cold water on claims that Colbert was canceled for political reasons.  (Paul Drinkwater/NBC NewsWire)

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Olbermann authored the post in response to an X user who posted that Colbert’s firing was a sign that the United States had descended into fascism.  

“We are officially at the ‘pulling comedians off the air who criticize our dear leader’ phase of fascism,” the user posted over a picture of the late night host.

Following the network’s announcement of Colbert’s ouster, numerous left-wing politicians and journalists spoke out, alleging that the talk show host was fired for political reasons, speculating that axing Colbert – a fierce critic of President Trump – was an attempt to placate White House officials amid a pending merger between CBS’ parent company Paramount and Skydance.

“CBS’s billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late night host, slams the deal. Days later, he’s fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO,” Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders posted on X.

CBS announced “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” would cease production in May 2026.  (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)

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“If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote on X.

CBS settled with President Trump after he sued the network alleging election interference over a “60 Minutes” interview with his 2024 opponent former Vice President Kamala Harris which he alleged was deceptively edited. A clip from the interview, in which Harris was asked about the war in Gaza, was released on “Face the Nation” prior to the “60 Minutes” broadcast and featured the former VP delivering an answer that was widely derided as “word salad.” When the interview was finally broadcast, a different, more concise response was swapped in its place. 

CBS, however, claimed that “The Late Show’s” cancellation was due to financial reasons, saying the show lost some $40 million a year. Colbert is No. 1 in the late night timeslot among network talk show hosts (though he regularly comes behind Fox’s Gutfeld), averaging around 2.4 million viewers per episode. Overall viewership for late night talk shows has steadily declined in recent years, leading to a decrease in total ad revenues.

Colbert was tapped to host the “Late Show” following Letterman’s retirement after he hosted the widely acclaimed “Colbert Report” on Comedy Central. Upon taking the reins of the franchise, Colbert eschewed the well-known formula of hosting a show that appeals to the broadest swath of Americans, opting instead for a highly partisan, Trump-critical program.

CBS said the show was losing $40 million a year.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to CBS for comment.

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When former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Colbert popped champagne on air and danced, proclaiming his joy in the election result. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Biden did it! He’s our next president! I’m so happy!” he proclaimed, adding that he cried tears of joy upon learning Trump would no longer be president.