Trump Rival Receives Hero's Welcome At 2025 Emmys That Will Have Food Flying At The White House

Somebody tell Donald Trump not to tune in to the Emmys tonight. His longtime nemesis, Stephen Colbert, just received a hero's welcome while presenting this year's award for best actor in a comedy series to Seth Rogen for his work on "The Studio." "Thank you very much. You're very kind," Colbert quipped after getting cheers and a standing ovation. "Sit down. We gotta go. But while I have your attention, is anyone hiring?"

We're guessing that scene must've wounded the ego of a certain, erm, someone in Washington, D.C. "I've got 200 very qualified candidates here tonight who will be available in June," Colbert said while reaching into his jacket pocket to bring out his résumé. "I just — I haven't had a chance to update my headshot in a bit, but I think it still works," he added. "I only have one [copy]. Harrison Ford, can you get this to Spielberg? Would you?"

"Is anyone hiring?" – Stephen Colbert at the #Emmys after getting a raucous standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/NezyqyOzuS

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) September 15, 2025

For context, Colbert will soon wrap up his run as host of "The Late Show" after CBS announced in July that the program was being canceled. In a statement, the network, which is owned by Paramount Global, explained that the move was "purely a financial decision" and was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters." However, plenty of folks, including Hollywood celebrities, suspect it has something to do with Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with former vice president Kamala Harris. It also came shortly after Colbert criticized the settlement as a "big fat bribe" on his show in July: "As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended," Colbert said. "I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help," he added sarcastically.

As expected, President Donald Trump got a kick out of seeing his longtime rival being taken off-air and sent packing from "The Late Show." "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "His talent was even less than his ratings." He also took a jab at late-night host Jimmy Kimmel because, well, why the heck not? "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!" (See also: Times Jimmy Kimmel has made his hatred for Trump crystal clear.) "Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show," referring to his other late-night nemesis, Jimmy Fallon.

But Colbert refused to take all this beating lying down. In a July 2025 episode of "The Late Show," he declared that all gloves are off until his final episode in May 2026 and promised to tell it like it is. "I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump starting right now," said Colbert, admitting that he doesn't care much for the president and thinks he's not competent enough to run the country. "Just not a good fit, that's all."

Of Trump's reaction to the show's cancellation, Colbert feigned offense and had only this to say: "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?" before looking intently at the camera and telling Trump to "go f*** yourself." Meanwhile, Colbert also addressed the show's impending cancellation on tonight's ceremony, where "The Late Show" just won outstanding talk series for the first time in 32 years.

Speaking on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmys on September 14, Stephen Colbert addressed the elephant in the room while using his signature humor to keep things light and cheerful. When asked by E! News what it would mean for him to win an Emmy for outstanding talk series, Colbert praised the cast and crew of "The Late Show" as deserving of recognition. "So often 200 people do this show, not just me," he stressed in his chat with host Zuri Hall. "I get all the applause, and I get all the fame... and I'm fine with that." He added in jest, "All I want is my name 10 stories tall on Broadway. They can have everything else." 

Later, during his acceptance speech, Colbert also kept his tone optimistic as he thanked CBS and everyone who had supported "The Late Show" over the last 20 years. He couldn't, however, resist taking a jab at Donald Trump toward the end of his speech. "Ten years on, in September 2025, my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America," said the late-night host. "Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor!" Bet Trump wasn't so crazy about that.