Not so long ago, late-night talk shows were a hallowed US institution.

But Donald Trump, never one to be overawed by an institution, has taken a wrecking ball to the genre.

In quick succession, two of the biggest names in late-night television have fallen, and the president is openly eyeing two more scalps to add to his collection.

With ratings steadily declining for years, talk shows are no longer the golden goose for network bosses.

Hosts, who tend to skew to the Left and are frequently critical of the president, have lost the blind loyalty of executives.

Earlier this year, CBS announced it was cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which will broadcast its final episode in May despite dominating late-night television for decades.

The announcement came days after Colbert criticised CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a lawsuit with Mr Trump. The broadcaster has insisted its decision was purely a financial one.