The end is in sight for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as the CBS late-night show enters its final month. Host Stephen Colbert is trying to make the best of it, even going so far as to look out for his fellow host Jimmy Kimmel with a gift.
During one of his opening monologues this week, Colbert once again found himself discussing the escalating conflict involving Iran. The Late Show host has relentlessly mocked President Donald Trump's apparent lack of strategy in the war, which has gone on much longer than original anticipated.
“Yesterday, Donald Trump announced that he was extending a ceasefire between the United States and Iran hours before it was set to expire,” Colbert began. “This time, he did not specify an end date.”
That open-ended date complicates things for Colbert, who is set to end his current late-night TV chapter on May 21 when The Late Show officially ends. “You know what? I’m beginning to think this war might not be over by Memorial Day,” Colbert said, referencing his upcoming finale on CBS.
So rather than worry about being left out, Colbert came up with a bit that made the most of the situation. The host pulled out a pen and began addressing a large box, labeling it for delivery to Jimmy Kimmel Live! over at ABC. The contents? A stash of Late Show “Iran War Jokes.”
“Enjoy, buddy!” he said. “Coming to you.” Of course, Kimmel and his writing staff don't exactly need help when it comes to ripping the Trump administration over the war in Iran. But Kimmel earned the special shoutout in part to his strong friendship with Colbert as well as how intensely the ABC host defended Colbert against the CBS decision to cancel The Late Show.
This isn't the first time extreme circumstances have forced Colbert to offload his material. Back in 2024, he retired his President Joe Biden aviators along with all his "Biden is old" jokes after the former president stepped down from his re-election campaign.
As his Late Show tenure winds down, Colbert has been the recepient of some thoughtful and amusing gifts from his guests as they make their final visits to the Ed Sullivan Theater. With this bit, Colbert wants to turn the tables and give back to the late-night TV genre he already contributed so much to over the past two decades.
A month from now, fans will probably wonder what Stephen Colbert would have to say about where things stand in Iran or whatever else the Trump administration has done to make headlines that week. Hopefully, the Late Show host has something lined up that will keep sharing his voice. Regardless, Jimmy Kimmel and the rest of late-night are fully capable of carrying the torch.
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