On Christmas Eve 2025, former President Donald Trump delivered what many are calling his “lump of coal” to late-night host Stephen Colbert, unleashing a scathing attack on Truth Social that branded the comedian a “pathetic trainwreck” and demanded CBS “put him to sleep now.”

The post, timed amid holiday cheer, read in part: “Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. He is a dead man walking. CBS should put him to sleep!” Trump went on to mock Colbert’s ratings and relevance, echoing his long-standing feud with late-night television hosts who have frequently satirized him.

The outburst appears tied to Colbert’s recent animated holiday special, “Colbert’s Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel,” which aired days earlier and viciously lampooned Trump as “King Jag Bag” – a tyrannical figure who cancels Christmas, deploys ICE to the North Pole, bulldozes Santa’s workshop for a gold-plated ballroom, and imprisons elves in “Alligator Elfcatraz.” Narrated by Nick Offerman, the cartoon featured brutal jabs at Trump’s policies, ego, and associates, including references to a fictional “Elfstein list” and a tentacled creature emerging from the character’s “neck vagina.”

Colbert, whose The Late Show was canceled earlier in 2025 amid reported political and financial pressures (ending in May 2026), has been unfiltered in his criticism since the announcement. The special was seen by many as his “final holiday gift” – a no-holds-barred farewell roast blending satire with commentary on the show’s fate.

Trump’s Christmas Eve broadside fits a pattern: he’s repeatedly targeted Colbert, celebrating the cancellation in July and warning other hosts like Jimmy Kimmel were “next.” Sources close to Trump say he’s been monitoring late-night TV closely, with the animated special hitting a nerve amid its viral spread and media coverage portraying it as Colbert’s parting shot.

Colbert has yet to respond directly, but his team posted a cryptic holiday message on the show’s account: “Merry Christmas to all – even the jag bags.” Fans flooded social media, with #ColbertChristmas and #TrumpTrainwreck trending, some hailing Colbert’s cartoon as “genius” and others decrying Trump’s timing on a family holiday.

As families gathered for Christmas Eve dinners, the rant served as a reminder of the enduring Trump-late-night wars. With Colbert’s run winding down, this could be one of the final chapters – or fuel for more fireworks in 2026.

Merry Christmas, indeed – with a side of coal.