Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Karma Comes for Colbert

Stephen Colbert spent the last decade demonizing Donald Trump in late-night TV. In 2024 Trump ran for reelection and won convincingly. Meanwhile Colbert’s contract with CBS came up for renewal and he wasn’t renewed.

The market has rendered a judgment on each man, Trump won, Colbert lost. Persian poet Omar Khayyam, as translated by Edward FitzGerald, said it best.

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, 
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit 
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, 
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
Modern translation: Karma is a bitch, Stephen. You’re no Carson, no Leno.