Trump posts doctored video throwing Stephen Colbert into a dumpster
Newsweek • • general
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social showing Stephen Colbert being thrown into a dumpster and Trump dancing to "YMCA," mocking Colbert's departure from CBS after his final show aired.
- The clip intensifies the long-running feud between Trump and Colbert, highlighting the growing use of AI-generated content in political messaging to target critics and influence public discourse.
- Colbert, a persistent critic of Trump throughout his presidency, ended The Late Show with a celebratory farewell without mentioning Trump, but Trump responded with posts criticizing Colbert and late-night television broadly.
- CBS ended The Late Show after Colbert’s 11-season run for financial reasons, with many prominent figures praising Colbert’s influence, while Trump framed the cancellation as part of a decline in late-night TV.
- The incident underscores concerns about AI's role in politics, as U.S. intelligence officials warn that realistic deepfakes could spread misinformation and manipulate public opinion at scale.