Surprisingly, NBC’s Today was the only lead broadcast network morning news show to embarrass itself on Thursday by mourning the “end of an era” with the last episode of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert set to air hours later, fretting there will no longer be a show helmed by the “devout Catholic” with “trailblazing format” that’s become defined by “politically charged humor” and a “critical eye toward President Trump.” How much did NBC love Colbert and The Late Show? They teased a preview of this “end of an era” and co-host Craig Melvin’s sit-down with original host David Letterman an astounding seven times. After reacting to co-host Craig Melvin’s commencement address at Villanova, Carson Daly said college graduates “aren’t the only ones preparing for a brand new chapter...because tonight marks the end of an era in late-night when Stephen Colbert signs off and The Late Show comes to a close after more than 30 years on the air.” NBC’s ‘Today’ was the only broadcast network morning show Thursday to preview the finale of CBS’s ‘The Late Show,’ mourning “devout Catholic” Stephen Colbert’s show ending despite a “trailblazing format” and defined by “politically charged humor” and a “critical eye toward… pic.twitter.com/hOrwaVzLVv — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 21, 2026 Entertainment correspondent and former Colbert intern Chloe Melas swooned: “[T]here’s only one more episode to go of The Late Show. Can you believe it? And in just a couple hours, that Late Show is going to start taping right here at the Ed Sullivan Theater behind me. And this farewell tour, it has been full of big moments, even bigger laughs as these lights get ready to dim.” “Tonight, Stephen Colbert will take his final bow before the curtain drops for good on The Late Show. Overnight, Bruce Springsteen performing. And a who’s who of guests turning the tables for a special Colbert questionnaire,” she continued, adding the final few episodes have included “A-listers filling out an all-star line-up to say goodbye.” Later explaining The Late Show started in 1993 with David Letterman, Melas said the nearly 33-year run had a “trailblazing format creating countless water cooler moments in a pre-viral video world.” When Colbert took over, Melas conceded the former Comedy Central host has made changes to the show “fill[ing] [it] with more politically charged humor.” That’s akin to referring to The New York Times opinion page as dominated by “viewpoints on all politics of the day” instead of heavily skewed left. The July 16, 2025 “joke” Melas used as an example was tame and didn’t even explain what it was in reference to (answer: Epstein): “Everybody I talk to is talking about what Donald Trump doesn’t want to talk about.” It certainly wasn’t the “Putin’s c***holster” or any of the other incendiary moments our Alex Christy compiled this week. Melas addressed Colbert’s cancellation by saying “questions swirled if it had anything to do with the show’s critical eye towards President Trump” despite CBS’s insistence it was “purely a financial decision.” She conveniently left out how the show had cost $150 million to run, and CBS had been losing $40 million annually. No time for that when you have your idea of fun to promote about this “institution that’s transformed the late-night landscape” and rumors of a Pope Leo appearance: But fans rallying around the beloved host after the news with hype building ahead of tonight’s final farewell as Stephen Colbert prepares to sign off from an institution that’s transformed the late-night landscape. So, as for tonight’s show, it is being kept completely under wraps. We don’t even know who the guests are going to be. But here is what we do know. We know that the finale is going to be extended, so it’s probably going to be more than its typical hour time slot. We also know that the taping is taking place more than an hour earlier at the theater behind me. And I just want to point out that Stephen Colbert has said that his white whale guest, you guys, is Pope Leo. You never know. You really never know, guys. Back live with the co-hosts, Savannah Guthrie nauseatingly reminded viewers a pope appearance would be great since “Stephen is a devout Catholic” and that it was great “Jimmy [Fallon] and Jimmy [Kimmel] on NBC and ABC are not doing live shows tonight, I think.” “Yeah, that is sort of reference to let their encourage their audiences to watch the final show as well,” Daly replied. In the show’s second hour, Melvin spoke to Letterman earlier this month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an interview largely focused on his co-ownership of an NTT IndyCar Series team and a new PSA campaign about heart valve failure. “Not far from the finish line of the Indy 500, we talked about the end of an era,” Melvin said in a voice-over ahead of his eye-roll-inducing question: “What does the end of that show say about comedy in America?” NBC’s Craig Melvin: “What does the end of [‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’] say about comedy in America?” David Letterman: “It kind of makes me sad. We always relied on it. You would read the newspaper in the morning, and at night, you would see Johnny Carson, and Johnny… pic.twitter.com/4FDNVYzd0U — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 21, 2026 The curmudgeonly Letterman groused “it kind of makes me sad” because America “always relied on” The Late Show and, in a bygone era, “[y]ou would read the newspaper in the morning, and at night, you would see Johnny Carson, and Johnny would give you a perspective, whether you agreed with it or not, but it was always funny.” “And, without that, I — I think we’re losing a valuable perspective. I think it’s very, very important to the American culture. I think it’s too bad that Stephen is gone. I think it’s a huge mistake,” he asserted. The next time the working class is sold out, a conservative icon passes away, or something of the sort, remember the groveling nonsense the liberal, elite media put forth when the antagonistic, partisan, and vile Colbert went off the air.

ABC News co-host Sunny Hostin was on a roll this week; between calling for a violent “rebellion” to touting a Democratic Party plan to bring “economic damage” to the South. On Thursday’s edition of The View, Hostin falsely proclaimed that the Black Lives Matter “uprisings” didn’t really destroy much and lied about eggs costing $10 a dozen. Continuing to react to reports of the Trump administration setting up a fund to pay people who claimed to be victims of a weaponized justice system, amid fears that money would go to January 6 rioters, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin scoffed and noted that the right was against the 2020 riots by Black Lives Matter. “I just think we need to make it clear that there can be no comparison between the Black Lives Matter movement and what we saw on January 6th. I just want to make that clear,” a hoarse Hostin interjected. Farah Griffin tried to defend her point as Hostin went on to argue that the Black Lives Matter riots were supposedly better than the January 6 riot. She falsely claimed that damage the riots caused (or “uprisings” as she called them) wasn’t really that bad: FARAH GRIFFIN: And that's not the suggestion. The point is, if you’re outraged on one, you need to be consistent. WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Yeah. HOSTIN: I know that wasn't your suggestion but, you know, people that watch our show take away different things. So, I just want to make that part clear. There were very limited destruction of property and violence during the uprising of - the Black Lives Matter uprisings. Of course, Farah Griffin was an empty chair and openly admitted she didn’t want to push back on Hostin’s lies about the damages. “We probably disagree on property damage but we don't need to re-litigate six years ago,” she cowered away with an awkward laugh.   Sunny Hostin defends the deadly Black Lives Matter riots of 2020. She claims there was only "very limited destruction of property and violence." pic.twitter.com/8TWNsP2DEE — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 21, 2026   In reality, the damage the riots did was extensive. As Axios reported at the time, the damages cost between $1-2 billion and was the “most expensive in insurance history.” Later in the show, The View raged at billionaire and Shark Tank mainstay Kevin O’Leary for saying that young people just getting into the workforce often waste money on fancy coffees and takeout lunches, when they could be saving. What did he say that was supposedly so offensive? This: You go to work, you spend 15 bucks on a sandwich. What, are you an idiot. It costs you 99 cents to make it at home and bring it with you. So what if you have to bring it with you? Bring your own water if you have to; or bring your own drink or bring your own coffee mug. You start to add that up every day, it's a ton of money.  Most people, particularly working in metropolitan cities that are just starting their job making their first 60,000 piss away about 15,000 a year on stupid stuff and that's what they should stop doing. “I don't know what kind of stupid stuff you're talking about but people like -- what's wrong with people liking their stuff? They know what they make. They know how to budget,” moderator Whoopi Goldberg snapped at the camera, completely missing the point that those people didn’t know how to budget. While claiming O’Leary was “out of touch,” Hostin asserted, “It costs like $10 to buy eggs!”   Sunny Hostin claims "it costs $10 to buy eggs" and calls Kevin O'Leary "out of touch" for saying young people just starting out spend too much on stupid stuff. She previously has bragged about paying someone to grocery shop for her since COVID. pic.twitter.com/AmDbfepwbq — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 21, 2026   According to a USDA report from last week, the average price of eggs in America was $2.21 per dozen. Additionally, the Federal Reserve noted the cost of eggs over the last 46 years topped out at $6.22 per dozen in early 2025 and had dropped off sharply since. Hostin was either intentionally lying about the price of eggs or she was the one that was out of touch. Back in 2023, she admitted that she no longer shopped for her own groceries, opting instead for someone else to do it for her. “I don’t like a supermarket. I haven't been in a supermarket since COVID – for about three years. That's when I discovered Instacart,” she boasted at the time. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View May 21, 2026 11:07:39 a.m. Eastern (…) SUNNY HOSTIN: I just think we need to make it clear that there can be no comparison between the Black Lives Matter movement and what we saw on January 6th. I just want to make that clear. [Applause] ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: And that's not the suggestion. The point is, if you’re outraged on one, you need to be consistent. WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Yeah. HOSTIN: I know that wasn't your suggestion but, you know, people that watch our show take away different things. So, I just want to make that part clear. There were very limited destruction of property and violence during the uprising of - the Black Lives Matter uprisings. GOLDBERG: And no threats to the president. HOSTIN: And no threats to the president. FARAH GRIFFIN: No threats to the president. We probably disagree on property damage but we don't need to re-litigate six years ago. [Laughter] (…) 11:28:59 a.m. Eastern KEVIN O’LEARY: You go to work, you spend 15 bucks on a sandwich. What, are you an idiot. It costs you 99 cents to make it at home and bring it with you. So what if you have to bring it with you? Bring your own water if you have to; or bring your own drink or bring your own coffee mug. You start to add that up every day, it's a ton of money. Most people, particularly working in metropolitan cities that are just starting their job making their first 60,000 piss away about 15,000 a year on stupid stuff and that's what they should stop doing. [Cuts back to live] GOLDBERG: I don't know what kind of stupid stuff you're talking about but people like -- what's wrong with people liking their stuff? They know what they make. They know how to budget. HOSTIN: It doesn't cost 99 cents to make lunch. It costs like $10 to buy eggs! So, that's -- He's so out of touch because let's face it, he sold in 1999, he sold his software product to Mattel for $4.2 billion so I don't want to hear him telling me about the cost of living or the price of anything. JOY BEHAR: is his point, if you just leave out the cafe lattes, you will become a billionaire? [Laughter] (…)

POLL: What was the worst media quote of the week? (Vote below)   Watch the Worst Quotes from @KatyTurNBC, @JoyVBehar and @jonstewart pic.twitter.com/gZyt5rRi21 — Media Research Center (@theMRC) May 21, 2026   NOMINEES:    Clueless Katy Tur: Is Mike Johnson “Putting God Over the Declaration of Independence?” “What about this passage from [Speaker of the House] Mike Johnson declaring that ‘our rights do not derive from government, they come from you, our creator and heavenly father?’ Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence?”— Host Katy Tur to The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins on MS NOW’s Katy Tur Reports, May 18.    Joy Behar: Once Trump Puts His Name on Prescription Drugs, “We’re All Going to Die!” “Once Trump puts his name on prescriptions, we’re all gonna die! Okay? He put his name on the Trump shuttle, the Trump vodka, the Trump University, the Trump hotel and my favorite, the casinos that all went bankrupt.”— Co-host Joy Behar on ABC’s The View, May 19.   Jon Stewart Hoping for the “Electorate” to Repudiate “Putrid” Trump Administration “Oh, people, close your eyes and dream. The day that the electorate in this great nation we call home repudiates this putrid administration – the day that that happens. My brother, my brother, there will be – and I mean this. The day that that happens, there will be a joyful noise from the bowels of this great country that will make Hungary’s repudiation of [Viktor] Orban look like an Amish Sabbath.”— Comedy Central’s The Daily Show host Jon Stewart on CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, May 19.      Sponsored by James P. Jimirro

On Thursday, the DNC released its 2024 autopsy and based on the reaction from Chairman Ken Martin, an autopsy for the autopsy might be warranted. Joining MS NOW’s Ana Cabrera reports, White House reporter Laura Barron-Lopez reacted to the train wreck by lamenting her biggest takeaway was that the party was not strong enough in its response to President Trump’s “identity politics.” Barron-Lopez began her reaction by noting what was not in the report, “But again, there are key things missing, as Eugene pointed out, like Gaza. And also you pointed out, Ana, in terms of, you know, the fact that there was no primary to replace Joe Biden.”   After the DNC released their 2024 autopsy, MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barron-Lopez says her biggest takeaway is "it's kind of a classic Democratic takeaway that Democrats should not engage in, quote, 'identity politics.'" Before you could say "Huh?" she continued, "the… pic.twitter.com/6mqliyzt4x — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 21, 2026   The former PBS News Hour White House correspondent then opined, “But when it comes to some of my key takeaways, the fact that the autopsy report says that that Democrats—it's kind of a classic Democratic takeaway that Democrats should not engage in, quote, ‘identity politics,’ even though so much of the Trump's attacks on Harris and so much of the Trump administration, the Trump's campaign was about identity politics, whether it was about January 6th and those that were convicted, whether it was about, you know, injecting more Christianity into government and Christian nationalism or the anti-transgender attack ads that the campaign launched.” Barron-Lopez’s definition of identity politics is a weird one. It was liberals who tried to suggest Harris’s opponents were racists and sexists, which is why the autopsy wants Democrats to focus more on voters’ actual concerns. Secondly, it is not at all clear what Barron-Lopez is even talking about when she says Trump was “injecting more Christianity into government and Christian nationalism” into the campaign. She then continued, “Those are all identity politics. And then another big key piece of the Trump campaign was on immigration: anti-immigrant, closing borders, saying that they wanted to deport as many people as possible in the millions. That also is identity politics. And it's something that the Harris campaign didn't engage on at all. So the takeaway that they should just that—they had no answer or couldn't answer there is a bit striking.” Whether Democrats learn their lesson is up to them, but White House reporters should at least know that responding to Democrats’ identity politics is not proof of Republican identity politics. The reason why Harris had no answer is because there was no good answer. The Trump team simply cited Harris’s own words and used them to break down the allusion that she was a moderate and contrast her obsession with identity politics to voters’ economic concerns. Here is a transcript for the May 21 show: MS NOW Ana Cabrera Reports 5/21/2026 11:09 AM ET LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ: But again, there are key things missing, as Eugene pointed out, like Gaza. And also you pointed out, Ana, in terms of, you know, the fact that there was no primary to replace Joe Biden. But when it comes to some of my key takeaways, the fact that the autopsy report says that that Democrats—it's kind of a classic Democratic takeaway that Democrats should not engage in, quote, “identity politics,” even though so much of the Trump's attacks on Harris and so much of the Trump administration, the Trump's campaign was about identity politics, whether it was about January 6th and those that were convicted, whether it was about, you know, injecting more Christianity into government and Christian nationalism or the anti-transgender attack ads that the campaign launched. Those are all identity politics. And then another big key piece of the Trump campaign was on immigration: anti-immigrant, closing borders, saying that they wanted to deport as many people as possible in the millions. That also is identity politics. And it's something that the Harris campaign didn't engage on at all. So the takeaway that they should just that—they had no answer or couldn't answer there is a bit striking.

“If you need an exorcism, you can go to California,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at a Senate hearing on Medicaid fraud. “That's the definition of spending porn,” Sen. Kennedy wrote on X.com, posting video from Tuesday’s hearing, in which he noted that California's Medicaid program also pays for things like tribal prayers, herbal medicines, housing, in-home chefs and student loans. “California will actually pay a healthcare provider – I didn’t know this was a medical expertise – to pay for exorcisms,” Sen. Kennedy told Blanche. The problem, Kennedy said, is that politicians in states like California are “putting up one dollar and the American taxpayer’s putting up nine dollars” to fund their Medicaid programs, so “they see this as free money.” As a result, California and some other states simply expand the types of services they cover, leading to taxpayer funding of dubious medical benefits, Kennedy said. “California has allowed thousands and thousands of these social assistance and so-called healthcare providers” to cash in on the state’s Medicaid program – turning it into “a tier-one slush fund,” the senator said. This proliferation of Medicaid-covered providers has doubled California’s taxpayer-funded spending on its program in recent years, Fox News reports: “Medi-Cal’s spending practices have faced growing scrutiny as California’s Medicaid spending has more than doubled since 2019, rising from roughly $100.7 billion to a projected $222 billion in 2026.” “When you’re spending other people’s money, it’s real easy,” Sen. Kennedy explained.