Musicians Union brands ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ cancellation as “censorship”
The president of the union that represents the musicians of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has deemed the recent news of its cancellation a form of “censorship”.
It comes days after Colbert announced that his long-running chat show would be leaving the air in May 2026, in what the network CBS called “purely a financial decision.” Still, some have speculated that it is related to Colbert’s criticism of his network’s lawsuit with Trump.
The President approved of the cancellation writing on his Truth Social platform: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.” However, in response to these claims, Colbert hit back in his latest monologue by saying, “Now for the next ten months, the gloves are off.” He added, “Go fuck yourself.”
The statement of support from Local 802 American Federation of Musicians, released on July 25th, began, “The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert without clear explanation is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the broader implications for free expression and artistic freedom.”
After explaining that music has always been integral to the show, Robert Suttmann explained that “Colbert’s cancellation threatens not only the livelihoods of the world-class musicians who perform on the show, it also undermines the fundamental principles of free speech and creative expression that are cornerstone values of our industry and our nation.”
He continued, “We need to be very honest about what’s happening here: the President of the United States himself has said he hopes he played a role in the decision, and has warned NBC and ABC that their late night hosts are next.”
Suttmann was not afraid to state that the random cancellation represents a worrying new trend due to the Trump administration, stating, “This is why it is vital for NBC and ABC to state, loudly and clearly, that they will not allow themselves to be similarly intimidated,” it read. “Now, more urgently than ever, is a time for courage, not cowardice. CBS’s decision is about much more than just a late night talk show. When an administration tries to silence criticism and dissent by asserting its power, we all need to take notice.”
While expressing solidarity with the other workers on the show who now find their livelihoods pulled from beneath them, Suttmann passionately wrote, “When censorship is used as a tool to quash free speech, we must stand up together. What’s happening now is not only wrong, it goes against what we must stand for as a nation.”
Trump is currently embroiled in another censorship saga, as he has lashed out at a recent South Park episode which mocked Trump’s attacks on Canada, the Epstein list, wokeness, his lawsuit against Paramount, and the cancellation of The Late Show.
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