The aftershocks from the stunning cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show continue to reverberate through the media industry, and President Donald Trump appears intent on directing the fallout. Just weeks after celebrating the demise of one of his most prominent media critics, Trump has aimed his fire at another high-profile CBS personality: “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. In a blistering social media post, Trump seized on a damaging report about King’s future at the network to declare her career finished, signaling a significant escalation in his ongoing war against the broadcast giant.

Taking to his Truth Social platform, the president shared a New York Post article that described King’s future as “murky” amidst declining ratings and a purported push by the network’s new owners to “root out left-wing bias.” Trump added his own commentary with relish. “Gayle King’s career is over,” he posted. “She should have stayed with her belief in TRUMP. She never had the courage to do so. No talent, no ratings, no strength!!”

The attack was a characteristic move for Trump, amplifying a negative news cycle about a media figure he perceives as an adversary. The Post article provided the perfect ammunition, alleging a “growing dilemma” at CBS over its “mega-buck anchor.” The report claimed, “The ‘CBS Mornings’ co-host, one of the fading Tiffany Network’s few remaining stars, is part of a culture that has ‘dug in’ against attempts by higher-ups to move away from polarizing coverage, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.” For Trump, the article was proof of a narrative he has long pushed: that media outlets critical of him are failing.

A War on Multiple Fronts

This public condemnation of King is not a random outburst but the latest salvo in a broader, more strategic campaign Trump has been waging against CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global. This feud escalated dramatically earlier this year when Trump filed a massive $10 billion lawsuit against the company. He alleged that a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was deceptively edited to mislead voters during the 2024 presidential election.

While legal experts widely believed Trump’s case was tenuous, Paramount—then navigating the sensitive final stages of a planned merger with Skydance—chose not to fight. In late May, the corporation agreed to settle the lawsuit for a reported $16 million. Many industry observers saw this as a tactical business decision to avoid a protracted legal battle that could jeopardize a crucial corporate merger, but it also sent a clear message: the company was vulnerable to pressure.

That vulnerability was seemingly underscored in July with the shocking announcement that CBS was canceling Stephen Colbert and the entire Late Show franchise. The network officially cited the show’s immense production costs, but the timing was suspect. Coming so soon after the multi-million dollar settlement with Trump, the cancellation of one of his most relentless and influential critics sparked immediate speculation that the decision was political. It was seen by many as a concession to Trump and a move to de-risk the company’s profile ahead of its corporate restructuring.

The Late-Night Hit List

Trump himself has done little to quell this speculation. He has used his Truth Social platform to gloat about Colbert’s downfall, framing it as a personal victory. On July 29, he addressed the widespread belief that he was “solely responsible” for the show’s end. “Not true!” he declared, before asserting the real reason was Colbert’s “$50 Million Dollars a year” in losses and a “pure lack of TALENT.”

Not content with celebrating one rival’s demise, Trump has also put other late-night hosts on notice, creating a veritable hit list of his media foes. He has predicted that the “even less talented” Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” and the “weak, and very insecure” Jimmy Fallon of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” are next on the chopping block.

“Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow,” Trump concluded, casting himself not as a political force influencing corporate decisions, but as a prescient critic of failing entertainers.

His recent attack on Gayle King is a direct continuation of this strategy. By publicly targeting another prominent CBS journalist, Trump is keeping the pressure on the network, creating a climate of uncertainty for its on-air talent. Each post serves as a powerful reminder to media executives of the relentless campaign he can wage against them, effectively blurring the lines between political criticism and corporate intimidation. For a company like Paramount, which has already demonstrated a willingness to pay millions to make a problem go away, Trump’s continued attacks on its stars present a significant and ongoing challenge.