Stephen Colbert took aim at CBS News this week after the network failed to obtain a visa to cover former President Donald Trump’s state visit to China.
During Thursday’s monologue on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the comedian highlighted the irony of CBS News’ slogan in light of the visa snag.
"All the news teams are on the ground in China to cover this epic and historic summit," Colbert said. "All except one, because our CBS News colleague Tony Dokoupil is being forced to broadcast from Taiwan after failing to get a Chinese visa in time."
"Well, that is disappointing, but it does fit in with their slogan. CBS News, when events happen, we’re at most one country away."
Colbert continued his critique by pointing out that other networks successfully covered the event in China, including ABC News, which featured anchor David Muir interacting with an AI-powered robot in Beijing.
After airing footage of Muir’s segment, Colbert quipped:
"Hey, that robot took the job I’m starting on May 22nd."
The jab referenced Colbert’s upcoming final episode of The Late Show, which airs next week. CBS previously announced that the series would conclude on May 21, following a financial decision by network executives.
The cancellation was confirmed in January, though Colbert had previously mocked Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Trump, calling it a "big fat bribe." CBS clarified at the time that the decision was unrelated to Colbert’s remarks.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.
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