In a candid moment during the penultimate episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Bruce Springsteen made his presence felt not just through music, but through a pointed critique of the network airing the program. Following a high-energy performance by Stephen Colbert and David Byrne, the legendary rocker took the stage to perform his protest track “Streets of Minneapolis” before addressing the elephant in the room regarding the show’s impending conclusion.
“I’m here in support tonight for Stephen because you’re the first guy in America who lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen remarked to the audience. He did not mince words when discussing the leadership behind the network, specifically targeting the new ownership. “And because Larry and David Ellison feel like they need to kiss [Trump’s] ass to get what they want. Anyway, Stephen, these are small-minded people. They have got no idea what the freedoms of this country are supposed to be about.”
The tension surrounding the show’s cancellation has been palpable since 2025, when CBS announced the end of the long-running series. While the network officially cited financial challenges within the late-night landscape, the timing of the decision—coming on the heels of the Ellisons’ acquisition of Paramount—led many observers to speculate that the move was a calculated effort to stifle one of the administration’s most vocal critics.
As The Late Show prepares for its final broadcast tonight, May 21, the industry watches closely to see how the landscape of late-night television shifts in the wake of such high-profile departures. Meanwhile, Springsteen continues his own journey, currently wrapping up his extensive Land of Hopes and Dreams arena tour with the E Street Band.