On Thursday, comedian and host of the Late Show, Stephen Colbert, announced that CBS would be canceling the iconic program. His words, “This is all just going away,” elicited gasps and boos from the audience, while viewers online expressed shock and frustration.

The decision to end one of television’s last major broadcast talk shows came shortly after Colbert criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for paying $16 million to settle a $20 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump. Trump has claimed that 60 Minutes producers edited an interview with Kamala Harris unfairly—an allegation dismissed by legal experts as without basis. The settlement is part of Paramount’s broader efforts as its chairwoman, Shari Redstone, seeks to sell the company to Skydance Media, a deal pending federal approval.

Colbert has labeled the settlement a “big fat bribe.” CBS officially stated that Colbert’s cancellation was purely financial, despite the show’s status as the top-rated late-night program. While expenses for producing original late-night content are high, insiders suspect the true reason for the cancellation is Paramount’s eagerness to appease Trump, whom they perceive as a threat, through funding and strategic decisions. Redstone reportedly directed CBS to withhold negative stories about Trump until after the Skydance deal was finalized.

Beyond corporate politics, the end of Colbert’s show reflects a troubling shift toward authoritarianism in the U.S. Trump’s presidency may have compromised many institutions, but the cultural landscape—television, art, film, literature—had remained resilient. Now, that sanctuary appears to be under assault, suggesting a broader assault on free expression.

However, Colbert’s departure might free him to more openly critique Trump. Many networks could benefit from the political climate, and there is hope that steely voices will emerge to resist this troubling trend.