Springsteen Blasts Trump and Ellisons at Colbert’s Second-to-Last Show

Bruce Springsteen didn’t hold back. Showing up for the penultimate episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night, The Boss used his moment in the spotlight to say exactly what a lot of people have been thinking — and he said it with names attached.

“I am here in support tonight for Stephen, because you’re the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen told the audience before launching into his performance. “And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want. Anyway, Stephen, these are small-minded people. They got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you.”

From there, Springsteen — alone onstage with an acoustic guitar and harmonica — performed “Streets of Minneapolis,” the protest song he released this past January following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota. As he played, projections of the words “RESISTANCE,” “TRUTH,” and “HOPE” appeared behind him. It was the kind of moment that felt less like a television appearance and more like a statement.

Why the Cancellation Has Never Quite Added Up

CBS has maintained that the decision to cancel The Late Show was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” — not related to the show’s content or performance. But the timing has raised eyebrows since the moment it was announced last summer. The cancellation came just as Paramount Global was finalizing its merger with Skydance Media, a deal that required Trump administration approval. David Ellison, son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, founded Skydance and now serves as CEO of Paramount Skydance. Both Ellisons have been vocal Trump supporters.

The move also landed not long after Colbert went on air and called Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s defamation lawsuit against CBS — over a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris — a “big fat bribe.” Days later, the cancellation was announced.

Colbert himself has been careful heading into his final week, choosing his words deliberately. He told The New York Times that he understood why people found it suspicious: “The network did it to themselves by bending the knee to the Trump administration over a $20 billion, settled for $16 million, completely frivolous lawsuit.” And he told The Hollywood Reporter that two things can be true at once — “It can be that the broadcast model is collapsing, and, while we’re at it, as long as we’re collapsing here, what if we shove this one out a window first? I mean, this lamb’s got a very cuttable throat.”

Trump, for his part, has been openly gleeful about the whole thing. “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” he posted on Truth Social last July. “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” When asked about Colbert’s final show on Wednesday, Trump told reporters he’d “have a message on a later date.”

Late Night Rallies Around Colbert

Springsteen wasn’t the only one making his feelings known. Over on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel opened his Wednesday show with a tribute to his friend and fellow host — and didn’t spare Paramount’s leadership either.

“I think you know how I feel about the fact that they’re being pushed out,” Kimmel said. “I hope the people who did the pushing feel ashamed of themselves tonight, although I know they probably won’t.” He praised Colbert’s team for their years of work and said he had no doubt they’d continue doing great things “in other venues.”

Then Kimmel ended with something that landed: “I will be watching tomorrow night. I hope that those of you who watch our show will also tune in to CBS for the last time. Don’t ever watch it again, but watch tomorrow night to wish Stephen and our friends at The Late Show a fond farewell.”

David Letterman has also weighed in previously, calling CBS brass “lying weasels” over the financial explanation for the cancellation.

One Last Night Before the Finale

Wednesday’s episode was packed. Before Springsteen closed things out, much of the night was devoted to Colbert sitting in the guest chair for an extended version of his own “Colbert Questionert” segment — the rapid-fire questionnaire he’s put to hundreds of guests over the years. This time, the guests came to him: Billy Crystal, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Josh Brolin, Martha Stewart, Mark Hamill, Jim Gaffigan, Jeff Daniels, Tiffany Haddish, Amy Sedaris, Ben Stiller, Aubrey Plaza, James Taylor, Robert De Niro, John Dickerson, and finally Colbert’s wife, Evie McGee Colbert.

The last question put to him: describe the rest of your life in five words. His answer was simple and warm. “My family, my friends, fun.”

The episode also followed Tuesday night’s Late Show, which featured a performance from David Byrne — another heavy-hitter for a show going out swinging.

Springsteen’s appearance fits squarely into the spirit of his current “NO KINGS” Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, which has centered on resistance to the current administration and recently wrapped a three-night run in New York City.

The series finale of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert aired May 21 on CBS — ending nearly 11 years of late night television. No guests for the final episode were announced in advance. Whatever happened, Springsteen gave it a proper send-off the night before.