New York, NY — Stephen Colbert is turning CBS’ decision to cancel The Late Show into a punchline — and a pitch. During his final taping before the show’s summer hiatus on Thursday, Colbert not only lampooned Republican Vice President JD Vance, but also openly hinted that he’s ready to take his talents elsewhere once his contract ends.
JD Vance Becomes “Wittle Pwince Vance”
Colbert’s monologue took aim at a recent Daily Beast story reporting that JD Vance ordered the water level of an Ohio river to be raised for a birthday boat trip.
“This is such an insane, spoiled-baby emperor move that I have no choice but to break out my new character: Wittle Pwince Vance,” Colbert said, adopting a baby voice while pulling out a mask of Vance wearing a crown.
Slipping into character, Colbert joked:
“Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! I want my wiver waised for my birthday! Also, I don’t like how bwue the sky is — paint it wed! Now, give me juice box.”
When handed a juice box, Colbert improvised, “Not fwuit juice — apple! Kill him! Kill him!”
After removing the mask, he quipped to the camera:
“Netflix, call me. I’m available in June.”
The timing was no accident — The Late Show will air its final episodes in May 2026. Later in the segment, after more jokes about Vance, Colbert added:
“I will also entertain offers from Amazon.”
Trump Criticism and Cancellation Speculation
Earlier in the show, Colbert addressed recent remarks by former President Donald Trump, who criticized him and other late-night hosts. The Late Show’s cancellation was announced shortly after CBS’ parent company, Paramount, agreed to a $16 million settlement with Trump over a legal dispute involving 60 Minutes.
While Paramount has insisted that the decision to end The Late Show was strictly financial, speculation has swirled about possible political motivations. The announcement has drawn strong reactions from journalists, Hollywood labor unions, and Trump himself.
During the taping, Colbert played a clip of Trump from the Oval Office stating:
“Colbert has no talent. [Jimmy] Fallon has no talent. [Jimmy] Kimmel has no talent. They’re next. They’re gonna be going… I would imagine, because Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon, you know that?”
Colbert responded with a smirk:
“I knew that, yeah, I knew that. But to be fair, I think we’re all equally untalented. Anyway, I just want to say thank you for watching, sir, and thank you for agreeing to be in our new promo.”
A Promo That Laughs at the Cancellation
The promo, played immediately afterward, featured Trump’s soundbite about Colbert’s high ratings, followed by the tagline:
“Colbert is No. 1 in late night. Just ask our elderly viewers.”
The bit ended with a freeze-frame of The Late Show logo stamped with “Still Canceled!” — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the looming end of his CBS run.
