You may have heard the news Stephen Colbert got canceled. But this isn't about mediocre ratings as you may have guessed. In fact, Colbert's ratings have been fine! No, this is a WAY messier situation... Colbert made it clear when he announced the end of The Late Show during Thursday's taping that it was the network's decision and not his: "The network will be ending our show in May... It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of The Late Show on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away." It's a sad statement... but it's more than that. CBS said canceling The Late Show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" and "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Critics believe the first part - that this is all about money - but they think there's a much darker "financial decision" happening. See, this announcement comes THREE DAYS after Colbert dared to call out the network during his Monday night segment for the "big fat bribe" they gave Donald Trump. WTF?? Related: Donald Trump & Jeffrey Epstein Got Caught Bringing Underage Girls Into Casino, Says Boss OK, so Trump sued CBS over the fact they edited Kamala Harris' interview during the presidential election. It's kind of nonsense because ALL TV interviews are edited - including when Trump spoke to Fox & Friends about releasing the Epstein files. It didn't even mean they were trying to make Harris look good, TV segments have specific lengths, they're produced and edited to be entertaining, it's just how TV works. Legal experts called the suit "ridiculous junk" - and said CBS would easily win in court. And yet CBS' parent company Paramount quickly settled, giving Trump $16 million. Paying a settlement in a case you could have won? Why would anyone do that? Unless... they wanted to give Trump $16 million. For some reason. Like, say, currying favor with an authoritarian ruler who can help or hurt your upcoming merger with Skydance? Senator Elizabeth Warren said the settlement "looks like bribery in plain sight." Clearly Colbert thought so, too. And he wasn't afraid to say so, despite working for the company. Then three days later, he's canceled. Now, due to the cancellation of Colbert, the Writers Guild of America are calling for Paramount to be full-on investigated for bribery. Because once again, the move looks like brazen kowtowing to Donald Trump. Giving up something of value - a show getting decent ratings - to appease the guy in charge. After all, Colbert has long been one of Trump's loudest critics on TV. Lord knows the actual news doesn't do it enough. Remember, they kept burying the Epstein story for years. If you think it's a stretch that Trump demanded CBS fire Colbert? That we've slipped into a fascist hellscape where the President will cancel shows who speak ill of him? Like we're effing Russia or China or somewhere?? Well, why don't we see what Trump said. Jimmy Kimmel had his fellow late night host's back. He told the network in no uncertain terms: "Love you Stephen. F**k you and all your Sheldons CBS" And Trump himself responded. With what sounds pretty blatantly like a threat to Kimmel. He wrote on his Truth Social: "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show." "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next." So Trump just gets to tell us what we can show on TV? And if you criticize Dear Leader, he leans on your network, and they fire you? Y'all. This. Is. Fascism. WTF else do you need, a label like it's a political cartoon?? How more obvious could it get? Even Meghan McCain agrees with us! We mean, she's in favor of it, but she clearly agrees it's political pressure from Trump that got Colbert fired. She tweeted her own warning to Jimmy Fallon: "If Jimmy Fallon and his team were smart they would start inviting prominent republicans on as guests and treat them like humans." You know, we're reminded John McCain once said, "Our shared values define us more than our differences." Meghan McCain just thinks a system of fascism works if you work it, baby! [Image via Jimmy Kimmel Live/The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube/MEGA/WENN.] The post Stephen Colbert Was Canceled Under Suspicious Circumstances -- Now Trump Says 'Jimmy Kimmel Is Next'! appeared first on Perez Hilton.