After the television network CBS announced in July 2025 that it would cancel comedian Stephen Colbert's late-night talk show, a rumor spread online that Colbert would move to CNN when his contract ended.

On Monday, July 21, Letterman’s official YouTube channel uploaded a compilation video of clips from various “Late Show With David Letterman” shows dating as far back as 1994. The clips all had one thing in common: Letterman threw shade at CBS in each of them.

On July 17, CBS News announced it will cancel "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert " in May 2026, in what was described as a purely financial decision unrelated to the show's content. President Donald Trump - whom Colbert frequently skewers in monologues - quickly weighed in on the decision.