Only 20 People, Half of Whom Wore Masks, Show Up for 'We’re With Colbert’ Protest

On Sunday, protesters organized a rally outside the CBS Broadcast Center in support of Stephen Colbert, whom the network announced would air his final episode in May of next year.

Participants in the "We’re With Colbert" demonstration said they gathered together to call for nationwide "integrity," claiming CBS unethically canceled Colbert's show to accommodate the Trump administration.

"Our country is not perfect, never has been," said the event’s organizer, who would only identify himself as "Matt," told the New York Post. "But we’ve always had the First Amendment, and now Mango Mussolini is trying to take that from us," he said, referring to a derogatory nickname for Trump.

"This is a First Amendment attack," another protester told the outlet. "We can’t stand for that."`

While the protest played well on Bluesky, it was an overwhelming bust in real life. According to reports, just 20 protesters showed up in support of Colbert.

And half of them wore masks:

They always look the same, don't they?

According to the New York Post,  even the NYPD cops left the scene early because of how few people attended the protest.

Of course, even a large gathering of woke Colbert fans wouldn't have changed CBS's decision. Despite all the hysteria and speculation, the decision to cancel "The Late Show" is quite simple. The show lost around $40 million a year due to high production costs, declining viewership, and sluggish ratings among the coveted 18-49 demographic. 

Consider that CBS considered the franchise's prospects so low that it opted to cancel the entire series instead of replacing Colbert. Likewise, the network canceled the "The Late Late Show" series in 2023 after a failed stint with James Corden, whose iteration of the show lost around $20 million a year.

For more on the decline of late-night television, here is our column from last week: "Late-Night Television Never Recovered From TDS."

In short, the late-night industry shifted leftward of the median voters. Per an MRC NewsBusters study, Colbert has had 176 liberal guests and only one Republican on his show since 2022.

Takeaway: If your business model is to cater to a bunch of out-of-shape, mask-wearing New York protesters, you've lost the plot.

Stephen Colbert lost the plot.