CBS’s decision to replace David Letterman with comic Stephen Colbert is an open act of contempt toward ordinary Americans, Rush Limbaugh says.

“What do I think of Colbert getting Letterman’s gig? I’ll give you the short version: CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America,” Limbaugh said on his radio show today, after CBS announced its decision to replace Letterman with Colbert in 2015.


The mainstream media is no longer waging a “covert assault” on conservative American values with comedy, he said — “now it’s just wide out in the open.”

Colbert has attracted a devoted young liberal following with his Comedy Central show, on which he satirizes a conservative news host. Letterman, who has held his late-night slot with CBS since 1993, was known for having a subtle liberal slant to his comedy.

“What this hire means is a redefinition of what is funny and a redefinition of what is comedy,” Limbaugh said. “They’re blowing up the 11:30 format under the guise of ‘the world is changing.’”