S tephen Colbert, the CBS late-night talk show host, was unequivocal in his assessment of Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump. “I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles,” he said. “It’s a big fat bribe.”

President Donald Trump attacked Stephen Colbert on Truth Social Friday morning after CBS and Paramount announced the cancellation of the late-night host’s longstanding show, a move the networks say was a financial decision but that Democrats have blasted as political.

Exclusive: Multiple CBS staffers who spoke with The Independent said they aren’t buying the company’s claim that Colbert’s cancellation was a ‘financial decision,’ adding that the demise of the show has left ‘everyone stunned.