Stephen Colbert’s Blistering Monologue on Epstein Files and Trump’s ‘Quiet, Piggy’ Outburst Triggers Midnight Tirade from Mar-a-Lago

By Sarah Ellison The New York Times November 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — President Trump unleashed a furious late-night barrage on Truth Social early Thursday, calling for CBS to fire Stephen Colbert after the “Late Show” host delivered a 13-minute monologue that skewered the president’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, replayed his “Quiet, piggy!” outburst to a female reporter, and mocked the administration’s threats against late-night comedy — a savage ambush that has racked up more than 60 million views across platforms and sent Mar-a-Lago into what aides described as “full-blown panic.”

The episode began Wednesday night when Mr. Colbert, opening with a mock weather report titled “Hurricane Epstein: Category 5 Cover-Up,” displayed a graphic of a swirling storm aimed at Palm Beach. “The National Weather Service has issued a presidential emergency,” he deadpanned. “Hurricane Epstein is intensifying, with sustained winds of denial, gusts of deflection, and a 100 percent chance of midnight tweets.” The Ed Sullivan Theater audience erupted, chanting “Category 5!” as confetti cannons fired and the house band played a distorted “It’s Raining Men.”

Mr. Colbert then turned to Mr. Trump’s testy exchange last week aboard Air Force One, when Bloomberg News correspondent Catherine Lucey asked about the Epstein files and the president snapped, “Quiet, piggy!” Replaying the clip in slow motion, Mr. Colbert feigned horror: “Quiet, piggy? That’s not how you talk to a journalist. That’s how you talk to a bacon sandwich you’re about to devour.” The line drew a 35-second standing ovation, the longest of the season.

The host saved his sharpest barbs for the administration’s pressure on networks. “Trump and his FCC lapdog Brendan Carr are threatening licenses because we hurt their feelings,” Mr. Colbert said, flashing Mr. Carr’s recent letters to ABC, CBS and NBC. “This is what authoritarians do: they don’t like the joke, so they try to shut down the microphone. But here’s the thing, Brendan — late-night hosts have been mocking presidents since Mark Twain roasted Ulysses S. Grant. You don’t get to cancel the First Amendment because the president needs a thicker bronzer and a thicker skin.”

At Mar-a-Lago, where Mr. Trump was hosting a donor retreat, the reaction was volcanic. Four people familiar with the evening, speaking on condition of anonymity, said aides scrambled to stream the segment on a conference-room screen. When the “bacon sandwich” line landed, the president reportedly hurled a remote control, shouting: “Colbert’s a sick puppy! Get him off the air — CBS is fake news!” By 1:07 a.m., Mr. Trump posted a 412-word screed: “Deranged Stephen Colbert, with his TERRIBLE ratings (worst on TV!), attacks YOUR President with lies about Epstein HOAX and ‘Quiet, piggy’ fake news! CBS must FIRE this loser IMMEDIATELY or lose their license. DISGRACEFUL!” The post, viewed 14 million times by dawn, tagged CBS chairman Shari Redstone and Mr. Carr.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during Thursday’s briefing, called the monologue “a coordinated deep-state hit job” and insisted the administration was merely “monitoring bias.” Behind the scenes, however, aides described a president obsessed, demanding talking points to counter the “piggy” meme and instructing communications director Steven Cheung to draft letters to CBS affiliates warning of “regulatory review.”

The segment has become a cultural juggernaut. #QuietPiggy and #HurricaneEpstein trended worldwide, with TikTok creators splicing the weather graphic over footage of Mr. Trump golfing in the rain. A slowed-down version of the “bacon sandwich” punch line has been viewed 42 million times. Even some Republican strategists privately conceded the damage. “Colbert just turned ‘Quiet, piggy’ into the new ‘Covfefe,’” one said. “It’s sticking.”

Democrats gleefully amplified the chaos. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tweeted a pig emoji followed by “Category 5 indeed.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, appearing on MSNBC, quipped: “Stephen Colbert did in 13 minutes what congressional oversight hasn’t in 10 months — he made the president squeal.”

CBS, which has faced no formal FCC complaint, issued a brief statement: “The Late Show is proud of its long tradition of political satire.” Network insiders say executives are bracing for affiliate pressure similar to ABC’s September suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, but viewership for Wednesday’s episode hit 5.8 million — the highest in two years — making cancellation commercially unthinkable.

For Mr. Trump, the meltdown underscores a second-term vulnerability: an inability to ignore late-night barbs even as more consequential crises — the 36-day government shutdown, plunging approval ratings (38 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll), and the looming Epstein files release — demand attention. Allies like Representative Jim Jordan have floated legislation to expand “fairness” rules for broadcasters, but even they caution that targeting comedians risks alienating moderates.

Mr. Colbert, in a post-show interview with Variety, shrugged off the threats: “If mocking hypocrisy gets you fired, then book me a studio on Mars — I hear Elon’s hiring.” As the clip continues its viral domination, one thing is clear: in the culture war between the Resolute Desk and the Ed Sullivan Theater, laughter remains the most potent weapon — and for now, the comedians are winning.