Stephen Colbert Torched His Corporate Bosses After Trump's Latest Money Claim, And It's Pretty Wild

    The Late Show host did not play nice with his corporate bosses.

    Ed Mazza
    by Ed Mazza

    HuffPost Writer

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    Stephen Colbert offered his corporate bosses a simple math lesson after President Donald Trump claimed the company would pay up millions more than had been initially reported as part of a widely criticized settlement.

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    Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images

    CBS parent Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit most legal observers believed to be without merit, but comes as the company attempts to complete a merger that requires Federal Communications Commission approval.

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    Then, the network canceled Colbert’s Late Show. While the network claimed it was “purely a financial decision” due to the show losing a reported $40 million a year, Trump himself had, in the past, specifically called on the network to “terminate” Colbert’s contract.

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    Many observers believe political pressure played a role.

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    Now, Trump is claiming that Paramount also promised that the new owners will pay an additional $20 million in public service announcements, ads and similar programming.

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    “Plus, they’re paying his legal fees,” Colbert pointed out on Wednesday, then added up the numbers. “That means by bending the knee, they lost like $40 million this year.”

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    CBS / Via youtube.com

    That number sounded a little too familiar.

    A person in a suit and tie stands on a set with cityscape backdrop, gesturing as if speaking to an audience
    CBS / Via youtube.com

    “They better watch out,” Colbert warned. “They might get canceled!”

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    CBS / Via youtube.com

    He added: “For purely financial reasons.”

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    Paramount has denied Trump’s claim of an additional $20 million.

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    Colbert said he hopes that denial is true.

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    CBS / Via youtube.com

    “Because could you imagine how angry people would be? Last year, Paramount laid off 2,000 employees, then cut another several hundred just last month,” he said. “Firing that many people, and then handing over 36 mil to a guy who’s putting your neighbors in alligator camps, all because of a lawsuit that your own lawyers said was completely without merit. If that’s true, it would make CBS look morally bankrupt. Also bankrupt.”

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    CBS / Via youtube.com

    See more in his Wednesday night monologue:

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    This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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