The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

ABC yanked “Jimmy Kimmel Live” off the air following a threat from FCC chair Brendan Carr, and President Trump celebrated his administration’s success in blackmailing media companies in order to silence his critics. Next, daddy’s home! Stephen Colbert has appointed Stephen Colbert, former host of “The Colbert Report,” as ombudsman to ensure that the final season of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” remains free from liberal bias. Best-selling author and CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jake Tapper joins Stephen to discuss the Trump administration’s role in Disney’s decision to take “Jimmy Kimmel Live” off the air. Check out Tapper's book, “Race Against Terror,” available October 7th.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump seems to be enjoying his time with England’s royal family, childhood vaccination rates are backsliding during RFK Jr.’s tenure, the U.S. and China are working on a deal to license TikTok’s algorithm to a group led by Oracle, and a company from Finland purchased rights to mine helium on the moon. A doctor walked out of an operation to have sex with a nurse, more Americans are using cocaine as the price per gram has plummeted, and new research suggests that chimpanzees and other primates enjoy drinking alcohol in the wild. wo-time Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor Ron Howard admits, for the first time in public, that he embarrassed himself in front of “Apollo 13” star Kevin Bacon while the two were participating in a NASA physical during the making of the film. Catch a screening of “Apollo 13” which returns to IMAX this Friday for one-week-only.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen celebrates his Emmy Award win by thanking everyone who makes, and watches, The Late Show! Elsewhere, President Trump is on his way to meet King Charles at Windsor Castle, and knives are out for FBI Director Kash Patel after his mishandling of the hunt for Charlie Kirk’s killer. 11-time GRAMMY winner Brandi Carlile returns to The Late Show with tales from her adventures fishing in the Pacific Northwest and invites our host for a ride on her boat. Pre-order her new album, ‘Returning to Myself,’ ahead of its release on October 24th: https://www.brandicarlile.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedy legend Eugene Levy blossoms into a more seasoned traveler as he visits Mexico, Ireland, Vienna, and other exotic locations in the third season of his hit show, "The Reluctant Traveler," which premieres September 19th on AppleTV+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Joe Dombrowski made his television debut with a hilarious stand-up set at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Visit https://thejoedombrowski.com for tour dates and ticket information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meanwhile… Koalas can now get vaccinated for chlamydia, many popular beers contain unwanted chemicals, and the Spotted Ratfish has forehead teeth it uses during sex.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actor Cooper Hoffman talked about the kinds of films he hopes to make as his Hollywood career unfolds, and details some of the challenges the cast of "The Long Walk" faced when battling the elements on set. "The Long Walk" is in theaters this Friday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The country is still shocked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the U.S. military tried to shoot down an object that could be advanced alien technology, the U.K.’s ambassador to the United States was fired after his close links to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed, and President Trump disagrees with RFK Jr. over the effectiveness of vaccines. Award-winning superstar Usher is the new face of the Ralph’s Club New York fragrance, and boy does he know how to sell it. Look for the fragrance available now at Macy’s.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump’s glib response to a Russian drone attack on Poland did not inspire confidence, the president ate dinner in public to demonstrate how safe he feels on the streets of Washington, D.C., RFK Jr. is set to revive the Presidential Fitness Test for kids, and the government appears to be suppressing a study that links alcohol use to deadly diseases. Jennifer Aniston thinks there might be room for Stephen Colbert in the cast of her hit network news drama. While we wait to find out if Colbert gets the gig, watch the new season of “The Morning Show,” premiering next Wednesday on AppleTV+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s GOP allies are trying to deny the existence of the Epstein birthday note even after it was released by the House Oversight Committee, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not mince words in her dissent to the court’s decision to allow ICE to target all Latinos regardless of citizenship status. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor discusses the court’s frequent use of the so-called “shadow docket” and explains why she issued a strong dissent to the court’s ruling on ICE’s powers. Justice Sotomayor’s latest book, “Just Shine! How To Be A Better You” is available now in English and Spanish.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Colbert hasn’t aged a day in ten years, the name of the Department of Defense was too woke for President Trump, Americans finally got a glimpse of a gross drawing Trump gave Jeffrey Epstein for his birthday, and the residents of Nantucket have been outed as above-average partiers. Next, America looks vastly different than it did in 2015 when Stephen Colbert took the reins at The Late Show. Tonight, our host looks back at some of the moments that defined the decade. Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy explains that “relief of missing out” is how he felt while sitting in the audience at a screening of a new film by director Christopher Nolan, which in a rare twist does not count Cillian Murphy as a cast member. Murphy’s new film, “Steve,” opens in select theaters September 19th and is available on Netflix starting October 3rd. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony gets decimated by returning champion Stephen Colbert in an epic hoops battle on the Ed Sullivan Theater stage. Look for Carmelo Anthony on the cover of the new “NBA 2k26 Superstar Edition” video game, available this Friday.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meanwhile… Science has proven onions to be dangerous for cats, a viral video features two rats fighting on a New York City subway platform, Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is getting married this weekend, and Stephen learns about a man who has collected 3,800 pairs of Crocs shoes.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katherine Maher, the President and CEO of NPR, joins Stephen to talk about the impact of the devastating funding cuts pushed by President Trump and enacted by congressional Republicans, and why public media is an essential means of connection for local communities across America.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vaccines are becoming harder to obtain thanks to RFK Jr.’s dismantling of the CDC, the state of Florida is moving to end all vaccine mandates, and President Trump is escalating his war against wind power. Hollywood legend Drew Barrymore shocked the crowd at the Ed Sullivan theater by jumping up on Stephen Colbert’s desk and giving an encore performance of the infamous desk dance she did for David Letterman in 1995. Season six of “The Drew Barrymore Show” premieres Monday on CBS. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Colbert stands up for America’s second city, President Trump is jealous that China’s president got to hang out with Putin and Kim Jong Un, and the White House social media team dropped a video packed with life advice from the president. New Yorkers are enduring a wild mayoral campaign complete with interference from President Trump and a whole lot of talk about rats, and Stephen receives alarming news about one of his favorite foods. Jamie Lee Curtis takes The Colbert Questionert! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Contrary to the rumors on social media, President Trump is alive and spending his time blaming artificial intelligence and landscaping contractors when things go wrong at the White House. The Emmy-winning host of “Last Week Tonight” confesses to his obsession with “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” and offers Stephen Colbert a crash course in the series' lore. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Colbert capped off another week of exclusive podcast introductions this past February with this preamble to the EXTENDED cut of Will Ferrell's latest appearance. Hear all the bits you missed from these two funny guys that didn't air on TV - only on The Late Show Pod Show! Then watch Will's latest film, “You’re Cordially Invited,” available now on Prime Video. The Late Show Pod Show is looking back at some of our favorite Colbert Introductions from this past season before Stephen returns with all new episodes September 2nd. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen and his producer Becca kept rocking in the free world in last May's podcast introduction about corn costumes and Martin guitars when they pulled Neil Young's 2016 Late Show interview from the Colbert Classic vault. The Late Show Pod Show is looking back at some of our favorite Colbert Introductions before Stephen returns with all new episodes September 2nd. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're rewinding back to some of our favorite exclusive introductions to memorable Late Show moments, like this conversation from May about comedy legend Don Novello, who reprised his iconic role as Father Guido Sarducci and took Colbert deep into the intrigue surrounding the Vatican conclave while the world's Catholics were waiting to learn who would be the next Pope (originally aired May 6th, 2025). The Late Show Pod Show will be looking back at some of our favorite Colbert Introductions from this past season before Stephen returns with all new episodes September 2nd. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices