Rock star Bruce Springsteen took shots at President Trump and Paramount owners Larry and David Ellison during an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show.
After Colbert introduced Springsteen before his performance on the second-to-last episode of “The Late Show,” Springsteen made a few comments targeting the Ellisons and Trump. He then launched into a performance of “Streets of Minneapolis,” an anti-Trump administration song released earlier this year by the rock legend.
“I am here in support tonight of 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 said.
“And, and because — because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his a‑‑ to get what they want, so these are — anyway, Stephen, these are small-minded people who got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you,” he added.
Last summer, CBS announced it was getting rid of “The Late Show,” shaking up the late-night television landscape via an action that the network said was a “financial decision.”
The Ellisons, a billionaire father-son duo, are allies of Trump and have put in place sweeping changes to the news division at CBS. They have also pledged to change up the network’s editorial strategy to cater to a more politically “diverse” audience.
“‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” CBS said in a 2025 announcement.
“This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” a statement said.
Colbert’s final show is Thursday. His version of “The Late Show” began in 2015.
The Hill has reached out to Paramount for comment.
When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.”
Ingle also linked to a prior Trump post on Truth Social slamming Springsteen.
