David Letterman Blasts Former Network CBS & ‘Idiots That Have Taken It Over’

David Letterman speaks onstage during the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on November 8, 2025
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for RRHOF

What To Know

  • David Letterman harshly criticized CBS leadership, accusing them of damaging the network’s news integrity and legacy.
  • He expressed disappointment over CBS’s rightward shift and lamented the decline of trusted voices like Stephen Colbert on late-night television.
  • Letterman defended Jimmy Kimmel against accusations of politicizing late-night, arguing that criticism is based on presidential behavior, not party affiliation.

David Letterman is no fan of the new regime at CBS, the network that hosted his Late Show for more than 20 years.

The comedian and former late-night host blasted the “idiots” in charge of the network — presumably referring to Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison and CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss — in a new video on his YouTube channel, as seen below.

“By the way, what about those idiots at CBS?” he said. “CBS News is a wreck. It’s just gone.”

Amid widespread controversy over CBS’ apparent rightward drift and its ownership’s overtures of support for U.S. President Donald Trump, Letterman mentioned CBS News’ legacy — spotlighting, in particular, Edward R. Murrow’s radio broadcasts from London during the Blitz of World War II.

“And it was that mentality that drove the integrity of CBS News that has been trampled on, pissed on, and eviscerated by these idiots that have taken it over,” Letterman added. “And I’m at a point now where it really is hurting my feelings, because I’m sick and tired of people saying, ‘Oh, wait till those midterms.’ Uh, kids, we’re far downstream of the midterms having any effect on this.”

The My Next Guest Needs No Introduction star also commended fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, who received an upswell of support amid his suspension at ABC, Late Show successor Stephen Colbert, whom CBS is letting go, and Seth Meyers, who’s still hanging on to his Late Night gig at NBC.

“What people don’t understand is, Jimmy Kimmel single-handedly brought the people at Disney and all of those other network television owners to their knees. Jimmy Kimmel singlehandedly … made them seem and appear to be the fools they are and continues to call attention to the plight. And also Seth Meyers, he’s very good. And I’m telling you, we’re running out of places where you hear these voices. And Stephen Colbert and that franchise, adios.”

And Letterman rejected the notion that Kimmel is politicizing late-night. “If we had a president who was a Democrat and behaved the way this Republican president is behaving, Jimmy would be attacking the Democrat president just as much as he attacks [Trump]. So, it’s not like it’s all politically driven. It’s driven by the behavior of the person in the office.”