Just before Christmas, US President Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh blast of vitriol at late-night comedy talk shows, saying comedian Stephen Colbert is a “pathetic train wreck” who should be “put to sleep”.

Colbert’s The Late Show is scheduled to end in May 2026, a decision his fans say smacks of censorship.

In a late-night social media post, Trump said that Colbert “has actually gotten worse” since being “terminated by CBS, but left out to dry”.

“Stephen is running on hatred and fumes – A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW,” Trump said.

Colbert has hosted The Late Show since 2015 and it has been the highest-rated late-night talk show on US television. His opening monologues often take aim at the Republican president.

There was no immediate public response from Colbert or CBS to Trump’s post.