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“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin warned on Tuesday that CBS canceling Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” could be the start of the “dismantling of our Constitution.”
CBS announced Thursday “The Late Show” will end in May at the end of its broadcast season. Though CBS and parent company Paramount said the choice to cancel the series was “purely a financial decision,” and the show was reportedly losing the network $40 million a year, many liberal commentators claim it was for political reasons.
Just days before the cancellation, Colbert slammed Paramount’s recent settlement with President Donald Trump over his lawsuit against “60 Minutes” as a “big fat bribe” ahead of a pending merger between Paramount and Skydance Media.
Hostin and her fellow co-hosts were also skeptical of CBS’ explanation for canceling Colbert’s show based on the “timing” of the announcement. She pointed out that if politics were involved, then the fabric of democracy could be in jeopardy.
CBS STAFFER CALLS STEPHEN COLBERT CANCELLATION A ‘CHILLING OF FREE SPEECH’
“My concern is, if it is political, then everyone should be concerned. People on the right should be concerned. People on the left should be concerned. Because it’s very clear that, if it is political, this is the dismantling of our democracy. This is the dismantling of our Constitution. Right?” Hostin said to the cheering of the studio audience.
She continued, “The First Amendment is the First Amendment for a reason and that is freedom of the press, freedom of speech. Freedom to speak truth to power. If that is taken away, if the comedians are being attacked, then that means our Constitution is being dismantled… That means the very rubric of our democracy is being dismantled. And I think every single person should be really, really concerned about it.”
Hostin praised Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for speaking up on the issue and demanding answers. Several other high-profile Democrats also spoke out against canceling Colbert, whose show was openly favorable to their party while hostile to Republicans.
“We must protect our Constitution and we must protect our democracy! This is bigger than just the cancellation of a television show!” Hostin exclaimed.
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Her co-host Joy Behar blamed Trump for Colbert’s cancellation and warned “all bets are off” if comedians are taken down.
“It’s always been the role of the court jester to make fun of the king. That is the role of comedians. I have said on this show, I think I said it years ago, when they start coming for the comedian, all bets are off, because the king is supposed to take the hits and this guy has a skin thinner than, I don’t know, than this card,” Behar said, holding one up.
Colbert fired back against Trump on his show Monday night after the president celebrated his show ending on Truth Social, writing, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.
“How dare you, sir?” Colbert responded. “Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f— yourself.”
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