Stephen Colbert was fired because CBS decided to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" primarily due to financial reasons. The show was reportedly losing money, and the decision came amid a challenging landscape for late- night television with increasing expenses and declining profits. This cancellation coincided with CBS's parent company, Paramount Global, working on a multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance Media, which was under scrutiny by federal regulators. Additionally, CBS had recently settled a $16 million lawsuit with former President Donald Trump, who had been frequently targeted by Colbert's critiques. Although CBS stated the cancellation was a purely financial decision unrelated to the show's content or performance, many observers and some Democrats suspected political motivations, given Colbert's outspoken criticism of Trump. The timing and context, including Trump's celebratory remarks about the firing, suggest interplay of financial and political factors behind the decision.