Stephen Colbert Had Hilarious Reaction After Being Asked About Trump Following Emmy Win

After taking home six Emmys, including for Outstanding Variety Series, comedian Stephen Colbert had the perfect reaction after he was asked if he thought that President Donald Trump got The Late Show canceled.

Colbert was approached backstage by Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh, who asked if Colbert believes his show "was canceled because of Donald Trump?” Colbert merely said, "What?" and turned instead to CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister.

He complimented Wagmeister, saying:

"That's a beautiful dress."

Wagmeister laughed and said:

"I believe he had a question."

Colbert, who is partially deaf, said:

“What? Oh, I’m sorry, I’m deaf in this ear. What did you say?"

Before Setoodeh could ask Colbert again, Colbert cut him off and said:

“You wanted to know who the most important member of my staff was? It’s me!”

You can watch what happened in the video below.

People appreciated that Colbert didn't take the bait on his big night.

Colbert has continued to speak out since CBS canceled The Late Show last year; the show aired its final episode in May 2026.

Colbert had consistently been at the top of the late-night ratings, but CBS, citing economic concerns, announced that his program would go off the air in May—news that came as its parent company, Paramount, sought government approval for a merger with Skydance.

The FCC later approved the merger and Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump, which Colbert said amounted to a payoff to secure approval for the merger.

Months later, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison unveiled a deal—reportedly valued at $150 million—to purchase Bari Weiss’ contrarian outlet The Free Press, while also installing her as the top editorial leader at CBS News. The move fueled speculation among media analysts that Ellison was attempting to bolster the network’s credibility with Trump and the broader MAGA base.

Colbert's quips come as his fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel announced his recent interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico would be put on YouTube instead of airing on ABC after the network received threats from the FCC. Colbert himself faced similar threats when he featured Talarico on his program.