President Donald Trump’s crusade against Hollywood’s most notable talk show hosts continues to wage on, and this time it’s a respected morning show host who has come under fire.
Taking to Truth Social, President Trump has taken aim at CBS Mornings host Gayle King and, as usual, he did not hold back. “Gayle King’s career is over,” Trump alleged, adding, “She should have stayed with her belief in TRUMP. She never had the courage to do so. No talent, no ratings, no strength!!!”
So what exactly prompted President Trump’s comments against King?
In calling King out on Truth Social, President Trump shared a recent article from New York Post which alleges that King’s future with CBS is up in the air amid declining ratings for CBS Mornings and cries from some that the show is too “woke.”
The article in question alleges that “the struggling network’s new owners vow to root out left-wing bias” and that King’s future could be in jeopardy with her current contract nearing an end. The Post cites that the show’s ratings have been on the decline in recent months, particularly in the coveted 25-54 age demographic, with sources telling the outlet that the audience is not seeking the type of content that King and her cohosts are delivering.
“The audience doesn’t want woke. It doesn’t like progressive and provocative bookings. The morning show audience wants optimism and cheer and joy and what they were producing is at odds with audience expectations,” a source noted to the outlet.
Concerningly, King’s contract is set to expire next May, the same month that CBS will be pulling the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The reports seem to suggest CBS will chose to part ways with the respected and longtime host once her contract expires, and it seems Trump is clearly in support of the decision, though that’s far from surprising.
King has been critical of Trump and, as recent weeks have again shown us, Trump does not take kindly to members of the media who oppose his leadership and actions.
Trump was quick to celebrate Colbert’s firing and use the opportunity to again take aim at fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Kimmel was next to be fired and took a cheap shot at Fallon, calling The Tonight Show host a “moron” who ruined the show.
The White House also recently called out The View’s Joy Behar, with White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers calling Behar “an irrelevant loser” who "should self-reflect on her own jealousy of President Trump’s historic popularity before her show is the next to be pulled off air,” in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
It’s definitely a historic time to be a daytime or late-night host, as we’ve never before seen so many hosts coming under direct fire from the sitting president and his office. There’s no telling who President Trump might single out next, but it’s clear he’s going to continue coming for his critics, and we can only hope the networks behind their shows choose to stand behind their hosts.
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