CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig ripped Democratic lawmakers this week for trying to get answers on CBS’s Thursday announcement it will be canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in 2026.
"The move, as you can hear, drew surprise and anger from his audience and from Democratic lawmakers too, who are now demanding answers," CNN’s Abby Phillip said.
Phillip then quoted a statement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on the announcement from the senator’s X feed that said "CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons."
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will go off the air in 2026. (Screenshot/CBS/LateNightWithStephenColbert)
Phillip brought in Honig, who said that Democrats should move on.
"Two initial reactions to this," Honig said. "Number one, what on earth is Congress doing, wasting their time on this? CBS is a private industry. If they want to give AOC the show, God bless them."
"They‘re private," he continued. "That‘s First Amendment, Congress. If Democrats, if Elizabeth Warren, they go down this road, what an utter waste."
CNN contributor Scott Jennings then challenged Honig, asking him why he thinks Democratic lawmakers are upset that the show is being canceled.
"You don‘t know why they‘re mad about it," Jennings asked Honig. "Well, who was even on the show tonight? Adam Schiff. These shows, Colbert and the rest of them have become nothing but anti-Trump fever swap porn along with Dem guests every single night."
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was among the Democrats who were openly critical of CBS for canceling Colbert's show. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Phillip acknowledged Jennings’ stance, but then said she thinks Warren is concerned that the cancellation is due to ongoing corruption.
On July 1, Paramount Global and CBS agreed to pay Trump a sum that could reach at least $30 million to settle the president’s election interference lawsuit against the network.