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David Letterman calls out the canceling of "The Late Show" as "pure cowardice"

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 11:18 AM ET

You have probably heard that CBS is ending "The Late Show" in 2026. You have also probably heard many people speculating this was done to appease Donald Trump so that Paramount, who owns CBS, can be sold to Skydance. People have come out of the woodwork to criticize the decision. Solidarity has abounded in late night, with even Jimmy Fallon getting in some digs. Immediately in the wake of the news David Letterman's YouTube page posted a supercut of Dave dunking on CBS.

On Friday, a new video was posted on Letterman's YouTube page. He and his producers Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay were all in different places, but they popped up to talk about Colbert. Dave, Barbara, and Mary do these videos every so often, sometimes in the same place.

To the surprise of nobody, Letterman goes off on CBS, Paramount, Skydance, and all parties involved. Now, Letterman is not merely a fan of Colbert. CBS literally created "The Late Show" for Letterman back in 1993 when Jay Leno got "The Tonight Show." As such, this is his show, in a sense, being mothballed.

The comedy icon called the decision to cancel "The Late Show" both "gutless" and "pure cowardice," and he definitely doesn't believe this was about money.

It will be interesting to see how the next year plays out with the "The Late Show," but don't expect Letterman to change his tune anytime soon.

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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