Colbert’s Quiet Farewell Dig: Trump, Beatles, and a Shire Send-off

Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show episode included a subtle dig at Donald Trump (he never named him) during a Paul McCartney interview about the Beatles’ Ed Sullivan Theater debut, with Colbert quipping about makeup and the era’s orange glow, and closing with a playful nod to Tolkien’s Shire. The night also featured Trump’s Truth Social rant praising Colbert’s end and anti-Trump protests outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, all set against CBS’s earlier characterization of its cancellation as a financial decision.