Bruce Springsteen lashes out at Trump, Paramount on penultimate Late Show episode

Bruce Springsteen appeared on the penultimate episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night, delivering a performance of his recent protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he wrote in response to the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Onstage, Springsteen voiced his solidarity with Colbert: “You’re the first guy in America who lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke, and because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want,” he said. “Stephen, these are small-minded people who’ve got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you.”

Springsteen’s words come amid ongoing discussions around the motivations behind CBS canceling The Late Show. CBS has cited “purely financial reasons” for the cancellation, though the decision came days after Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump after a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, which Colbert called a “big fat bribe.” The timing has led to some critics believing that Colbert’s criticisms of President Donald Trump played a role.

The Boss isn’t the only celebrity to come out in recent weeks against the cancellation of Colbert’s show, which the late-night host said is being carried out against his will. A veritable parade of famous faces have voiced their support for Colbert, including Robert De Niro,  Billy Crystal, and David Letterman, who threw CBS property off the Ed Sullivan Theater roof upon his return. Fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers have also spoken out against Colbert’s cancellation, with Kimmel urging viewers to never watch CBS again. 

Writers Guild of America president Tom Fontana recently issued a statement lauding the Late Show’s staff. “The Late Show writers are a credit to their profession, their craft, and their fellow writers. The Late Show has often challenged and critiqued power, and we are proud that our members continued to do so in the last days of the show. But just as importantly, The Late Show was always funny, an example of what can happen when a group of talented and hilarious writers come together to create a nightly comedy show.”

Jon Stewart appeared on The Late Show earlier this week to offer his own take. “I just think it’s so smart what CBS is doing,” he told Colbert. “I just think it’s such a good move, to take this show off the air, and then to also ruin your evening news, and then reduce 60 minutes to, like, six good ones. Here’s what I believe they’re doing: I think they’re tanking for a draft pick.” 

Colbert’s final episode will air tonight at 11:35 p.m. local time. Watch Springsteen’s charged performance below.

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