Fans Get Heated Over ‘CBS Mornings’ Tony Dokoupil’s Criticism of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert
Tony Dokoupil shared his thoughts on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert‘s cancellation, and fans have mixed feelings about his perspective.
During the Tuesday, July 22, episode of CBS Mornings, Dokoupil and his cohosts reacted to Jon Stewart suggesting that Paramount canceled The Late Show to appease President Donald Trump amid their merger with Skydance Media. Earlier this month, the media company reached a $16 million settlement with Trump after he accused 60 Minutes of heavily editing a 2024 interview featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Upon announcing the cancellation of The Late Show on July 17, CBS claimed that the decision was purely financial and “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
On Tuesday, Dokoupil said he understood Stewart’s “emotional” reaction to the cancellation drama, but went on to add, “He’s not right that the merger, the $8 billion, is based on reruns of a comedy show, no. People are buying the movies and the sitcoms and the sports. They’re not based on reruns of us either, so I think he’s wrong about that.”
Dokoupil continued, “And he also acknowledged that these late-night shows are what he called, like, ‘a Blockbuster kiosk inside a Tower Record.’ So, the business is broken. And what no one seems to acknowledge is the politics also changed. The business changed, and so did the politics, and it got way more one-sided than anything Johnny Carson was ever doing. I think we should reflect on those changes, as well. It’s been a big shift culturally in that regard, also.”
WATCH: ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host Tony Dokoupil brings a much-needed reality check to the table of liberal journalists fawning over ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’. His co-hosts dismissed all this, proving his point:
“I don’t have an MBA, but I don’t — [Jon Stewart] is not… pic.twitter.com/qR5R74g2vY
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 22, 2025
Viewers took to social media to react to Dokoupil’s comments, with some agreeing with Dokoupil’s assessment that the late-night landscape has become too political. “I watched Johnny Carson for years when I was young. I can’t tell you any political position that he held,” one X user said of the late TV personality.
“Simple truth is that when your program willingly excludes half of the country, you are limiting your revenue potential. Who woulda thunk it?” another user posted, while someone else shared, “CBS Mornings is the pits, but that was a refreshing 45 seconds of reason.”
“Trying to be honest is difficult on CBS ….Good job Tony Dokoupil ..CBS is Fake News..” a different user added. “Amazing how nobody there except Dokoupil is willing to consider the ultra left wing – political bent of the show contributed to audience fragmentation,” read another poster.
Others disagreed with Dokoupi. “What a total coward. Johnny Carson’s show would never survive today, he’s right, times have changed and people have to speak truth to power,” one X user shared. Another stated, “Tony Dokoupil needs to realize that few people would miss him if they removed his seat from the CBS Mornings’ table.”
“CBS Mornings’ Tony Dokoupil has no sympathy for his coworker Stephen Colbert’s cancellation. Dang, even his own network knows how awful his show is,” read another post. A separate X post claimed that Dokoupil’s comments were “not an accurate take” on the matter.
Stephen Colbert, for his part, clapped back at Trump celebrating his show’s cancellation on the Monday, July 21, episode of The Late Show. “How dare you, sir?” Colbert responded at the top. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f**k yourself!” he quipped.
CBS Mornings, Weekdays, 7a/6c, CBS
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Tony's statement is . . . understandable, if weird. Colbert is the highest rated late night show, so it's not exactly an abject failure--what's more likely is the CBS is not fully leveraging that in the modern era (e.g., Kimmel has more followers on YouTube, by a lot--or, at least, he did when I checked before all this news dropped). CBS could have and should have leveraged that popularity better to pull in revenue from other streams, but they didn't.
Tony is partially right that the big movies and franchises are the real appeal to a Paramount merger, but he's wrong to discount highly rated shows and talents like Colbert.
Skydance is vowing to end DEI policies already, which makes the reasoning behind firing Colbert that much more obvious. Clearly they're trying to appease Trump since multiple studies have shown that DEI corporate programs tend to actually be quite profitable.
To me, the interesting question here is this: what's going to happen to some of those big franchises that come along with Paramount? For example, Star Trek, which the far right seems to only just now be realizing is "woke." Or even Young Sheldon, which promotes acceptance of neurodiversity and examines prejudices formed by the deep south, especially around religion?
I feel like TV is going to get a whole lot crappier if we keep caving to the toddler in the White House.
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They killed a great thing. Should have left the politics out. I am Trump supporter abd can take jokes about him but not the hatred they spew. Jimmy Kimmel and Fallon both we loved and haven't watched either in years. Not funny. Trump won by a landslide. They should have read the room and dropped the hate. So long haters!
Biden’s admin made racism strong again and hate string. So sad. We were making progress. But you cant sell politics unless you have a group feeling left out and until people wake up this wont ever end.
I am not racist. I do think womens rights have been met. There is nothing women can’t do anymore. But someone wants to keep stirring the pot and making problems.
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O
I think what Dokoupil is missing here is that late night television reflects the country itself. Americans have recently adopted a hyperpartisan team-like mentality when it comes to politics. In the age of Carson, people cared about politics, but were open to him mocking the guy they voted for too. No more. Now people see everything as you're either with us or against us and will walk away at the first insult to "their" guy. I think there's also a lot of revisionist history about how political The Tonight Show was once upon a time. It's like people who endlessly talk about how much SNL sucks now as opposed to their preferred era. The show has always been uneven. What's changed is the people watching it.
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G
So, Tony, ask yourself why your show has the lowest ratings of all the morning shows. I can think of 4 right off the top of my head. Ya'll might be next.
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I'd agree with him except unfortunately, Fox News Entertainment has poisoned this country and civil society for decades, and since the Fairness Doctrine was killed under Reagan, the only way for there to be balance is a counterweight. And if you've never actually had to reside in a rabid Fox News household, you have no idea of the incessant 24-7 fear and hate mongering (driving, of course, grift; "1984" at least limited hate to two minutes...) that is aimed at other Americans: what The Left wants to Do To You, Take From You, literally - LITERALLY, mind you, calling Democrats "demons" on a regular basis. Rachel Maddow may be arrogant and snarky, but there's nothing in MSM that is anything like a counterweight to Fox, any more than there's anything on the left to rival Pizzagate...
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Pure liberal delusions as usual. You've been in mommy's basement for far too long. The mold has made you ill
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Project much?
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O
Brilliant retort. Detailed, factual and coherent. You've convinced me!
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Well, Tony, perhaps if the orange skidmark was NOT an ungrateful, unappreciative, anti-American coward and his supporters did NOT like him because of everything he's doing AGAINST this country, it wouldn't be such a problem.
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What Tony isn't grasping is that late night comedians are doing the job that TV news used to do. Back when a politician would say something newspapers/TV reporters would do investigation to check the validity of the statements. Now they accept what the politican says and moves on to the next question without any followup.
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To be fair, the country was not sliding into fascism while Carson was hosting; different times breed different priorities and to not use his position to point out the problems with Trump would be immoral.
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Carson didn't have a hateful president wanting to be a dictator with an enabling Supreme Court giving him immunity.
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O
One more reason to NEVER again watch CBS programming. They are in the process of destroying a noble legacy and substituting a corporate sycophant's mentality
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He's only saying that bc he is under CBS conyract
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Ditto!
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Also, his wife is a Trumper.
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O
BTW, speaking of Johnny Carson (as many people like to bring up his name in this conversation) reruns of his show air on some retro channels, and I've tuned in for a few minutes here and there. I have to say... his standup routine has lost a LOT over the decades. For me, it's clear that what was entertaining in 1975 doesn't necessarily cut it in 2025. (Same with the Carol Burnett Show; as much as I love Carol, some of the sketches on that show are-- based on today's world-- pretty cringeworthy.)
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O
I think two things can be true at the same time: 1) CBS acted to get rid of a someone whose voice they saw as 'problematic.' And 2) Late-night TV is changing, and becoming less and less a factor for networks.
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Yeah, while NBC has been spared of the president's wrath, there's still time. I'll keep enjoying Seth Meyers and "SNL" for as long as they'll be allowed to run as long as they stay true to their beliefs and attitudes...
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O
Somehow I can't imagine SNL ever going away-- at least, not because of 'outside forces.' As for latenight TV during the week, I don't know what networks would do without the comedy/interview shows. Show old movies? Air infomercials? More idiotic judge or house-renovation shows??
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What, are there demands to rerun the late Suzanne Sommers' Thighmaster informercials?
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I suppose it's difficult for men to notice, but I certainly remember being horrified by the treatment of some (attractive) women guests. They were ogled, leared at, ridiculed, and sometimes actually pawed at by the men guests, and sometimes Johnny. He even made fun of Carol Wayne drowning.
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Look at the President we have now versus what Johnny Carson had. This President has changed everything and he is caustic when he does it. I have never been called SCUM by a US President so yes, things have changed. That is why late night shows have included politics in their presentations. I don't blame them one bit.
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C
Spoken like a true nobody on the lowest rated morning show in CBS history
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G
Tony who?
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CBS folded Boycott them. theres nothing on tv worth watching any longer but CBS is bad
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D
Tony was 12 when Carson went off the air. If a TV station can't make money of the highest rated show in the time slot, that's the stations fault not the show.
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I quit watching CBS Mornings because of Tony months ago.
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ya' lost 40 mil. and blame trump? straight out of the dem. playbook
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As to Colbert: GOOD RIDDANCE!
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The real issue is that with the sheer amount of viewing opportunities the lack of real talent is obvious. Colbert hasn't been funny since he left the Daily show and that's most likely due to the poor staff writers he has. His staff had 3 days to make good biting satirical fun of Trump and all they could come up with was his "F#$% you" reply? That shows exactly why he's canceled, not for his commentary but for his lack of ability to be truly funny. Late night show formats have lost their ability to be truly funny, the hosts (looking at Kimmel now) are not funny or interesting, and they have degraded to just being political commentary and inviting guests on that uninteresting. Too many other options to watch with streaming and cable platforms to watch poor talent.
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I think its refreshing that Tony Dukopil is providing a different perspective. Tony Dukopil is an excellent morning anchor.
Another reason I watch CBS mornings over the other fluff big cable morning news programming; CBS mornings handles more important topics and debates. Now if they just got rid of the silly shopping segment, had less commercials and more personalities dropping in and out it could really improve.
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O
I hate that shopping segment. If they had it once a month it might be okay, but I certainly never watch that. I like the Eye-Openers, What to Watch (misnamed though it is), and Talk of the Table.
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Que up the liberal frothing masses. Colbert show budget was 100mil/yr. No one was watching it. Even math you types can choke down?
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Yet it is the highest rated late night show. It has over 10 million subscribers on YouTube and his monologue from last night (posted to YT this morning) already has over 2.2 million views. The show has won a ton of awards. Suuuuuure, no one was watching it. I hope you can hear my eyes rolling.
Or, and hear me out here, it's not "pure liberal delusions," it's just you with you head so far up Fox News's fox-hole that you can't do a quick Google search to see how wrong you actually are.
I concede Colbert may have been losing money, but it's certainly not due to a lack of fans or viewership. More likely, it's just mismanagement of the property by CBS.
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