A new study by media watchdog NewsBusters claims The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has overwhelmingly favored left-leaning guests in recent years, becoming what the group calls a “therapy session” for liberal viewers.
Since 2022, the show has featured 176 left-leaning guests compared to just one Republican, according to the study. That trend has continued into 2025, with 43 liberal political figures appearing on the show in the first six months alone — and no conservatives.
“Colbert’s show has been late-night group therapy for liberals,” said NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck. “Audiences have grown tired of partisan sneering disguised as comedy.”
Prominent Democratic guests on the program have included Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, and Cory Booker, as well as New York City politicians Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander. Liberal media figures such as Chris Hayes, Ezra Klein, and John Oliver also made appearances.
The only Republican counted by the study was former Rep. Liz Cheney, who appeared in December 2023 and sparred with Colbert over Donald Trump and the state of the GOP. However, NewsBusters noted Cheney’s consistent criticism of Trump and support for Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election.
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger appeared on the show in January 2025, but the study excluded him due to his alignment with Democratic viewpoints and sharp criticism of Trump.
The study’s release coincided with CBS’s recent announcement that The Late Show will end in May 2026. The network cited financial reasons, pointing to high production costs and steep yearly losses — reportedly $40–50 million annually — as the main factors behind the cancellation.
However, some staff members speculated about the timing, which came just days after Colbert criticized CBS parent company Paramount Global for settling a $16 million defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump. The settlement reportedly helped finalize Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, which was approved by the Trump-led FCC.
In a June 30 monologue, Colbert joked that the settlement was a “big fat bribe,” warning, “They left me alive. And now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off.”
NewsBusters also compared partisan guest appearances across other major late-night shows, including those hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, and The Daily Show. The study found that since 2022, out of 525 political guests across these programs, 511 were left-leaning, while only 14 were conservative.
The Daily Show, which brought back Jon Stewart as its Monday night host in 2024, had 106 liberal guests out of 107 in 2025, with only one conservative voice — policy expert Oren Cass.
CBS and Paramount have not responded publicly to the report.
