MSNBC Contributor Calls Stephen Colbert Cancellation ‘Really Scary,’ Compares It to McCarthy-Era Hearings [WATCH]

MSNBC contributor Molly Jong-Fast drew attention this week after describing the recent cancelation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as “really scary,” during a televised segment that aired shortly after CBS announced the show would end in 2026, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Colbert’s program, which has faced steady ratings decline in recent years, was reportedly losing $40 million annually prior to the network’s decision to cancel the show. CBS confirmed last week that the late-night program will end after the 2025–2026 season.

Despite the financial rationale behind the cancelation, Jong-Fast suggested that the move had broader implications.

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“Even if it’s not quid pro quo, the idea of self-censorship… And I talk about my grandfather, Howard Fast, who was jailed by McCarthy during the House Un-American Activities,” Jong-Fast said. “Our government has done this before. History is very much filled with moments like this.”

Fast, a novelist and member of the Communist Party USA in the 1940s, was imprisoned in 1950 after refusing to reveal names of fellow party members before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

MSNBC’s @MollyJongFast: Canceling Colbert isn’t funny, it’s “very scary”

“And even if it’s not quid pro quo, the idea of self-censorship. And I talk about my grandfather, Howard Fast, who was jailed by McCarthy during The House UN-American Activities, that that our government… pic.twitter.com/NJKSTfMy2p

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) July 21, 2025

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Jong-Fast’s remarks comparing a television show’s cancelation to federal anti-communism investigations during the early Cold War drew swift reactions online.

“Colbert is an unfunny partisan hack who ran off 75% of the Late Show audience,” one user posted to X. “Unpopular TV shows get canceled all the time. This has nothing to do with free speech. The free market chose to watch something else.”

Colbert is an unfunny partisan hack who ran off 75% of the Late Show audience.

He literally killed the Late Show!

Unpopular TV shows get canceled all the time.

This has nothing to do with free speech. The free market chose to watch something else.

— Gary P Jackson #Conservative (@gary4205) July 22, 2025

Another comment pointed to Colbert’s financial losses: “No one is “canceling” Colbert. CBS cancelled an unpopular TV show that was bleeding tens of million each year.”

No one is “canceling” Colbert. CBS cancelled an unpopular TV show that was bleeding tens of million each year.

— Kurt Nimphius’ Hair (@Hcp1Hcp) July 21, 2025

CBS has not indicated that Colbert’s political content influenced its decision. Reports confirm that declining ad revenue and reduced viewership were the driving factors.

In contrast to Jong-Fast’s concerns, critics were quick to point out the irony of her invoking free speech concerns, noting the recent history of media outlets and platforms silencing dissenting viewpoints—particularly during election cycles and the pandemic.

Despite pushback, Jong-Fast maintained her position, claiming that the cancelation was part of a larger trend that undermines democratic norms.

The Late Show became one of CBS’s flagship late-night programs following Colbert’s takeover in 2015, but ratings dropped significantly over the past several years as audiences shifted toward streaming platforms or alternative hosts.

Colbert has not commented publicly on Jong-Fast’s reaction.

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