Stephen Colbert Shook Up Late-Night Twice, but His Push Into Politics Could Have Ultimately Hurt the Format

May 20, 2026 10:20am PT

Stephen Colbert Shook Up Late-Night Twice, but His Push Into Politics Could Have Ultimately Hurt the Format

By

Brian Steinberg

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Brian Steinberg

Senior TV Editor

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Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

Stephen Colbert in 2016 tried to bring together a nation that was coming apart.

On Election Night, Colbert and crew mounted a live special for the Showtime cable network, and as more electoral votes were called for Donald Trump, cementing a victory that set many Americans on edge, groans from the live crowd became more intense. Suddenly, Colbert’s comedy show was no laughing matter.

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