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Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow didn’t mince words on his radio show this week. He said President Trump “took off the battlefield one of their absolute field generals in the culture war,” naming Stephen Colbert. It was a blunt claim — part cheer, part rallying cry — that the late-night host’s influence has been blunted and that conservatives should count it as a win.
Marlow’s Claim: A Political Knockout or Just Talk?
Marlow framed Colbert as a frontline combatant for the left in late-night television. To conservatives, late-night hosts have long been more than comedians; they are cable-age opinion leaders who shaped narratives and ridiculed anyone who disagreed. If Marlow is right, and President Trump actually weakened that influence, then the conservative base has another piece of cultural ground to claim.
Why Colbert Was Seen as an Enemy
Colbert’s shtick was always political. He mixed jokes with steady social and political commentary, and that made him a lightning rod. Conservatives watched. They were mocked on air and labeled by late-night hosts as the same tired villains — so naturally a columnist at a conservative outlet would celebrate any sign that those voices have less sway. Call it revenge, call it strategy, call it vindication; either way it feels satisfying to the base.
What This Means for the Culture War
The bigger point is the slow unraveling of media monopolies. Audiences are fragmented, streaming has changed how people get their jokes and news, and traditional late-night no longer has the same choke-hold on culture. That’s not just a win for conservatives; it’s a warning for anyone who assumed the media gatekeepers were permanent. If you want lasting victories, you don’t just cheer when a host’s ratings wobble — you build alternative institutions that last.
Wrap-Up: Keep the Momentum, Not the Hubris
Marlow’s glee is predictable and, frankly, fun to watch if you dislike late-night snark. But concrete policy and cultural wins require more than one-off moments. Celebrate smartly, turn cultural shifts into permanent gains, and remember the lesson: the culture war is a marathon, not a knockout punch. If conservatives want more “massive victories,” they should keep competing in media, entertainment, and ideas — not just counting the other side’s casualties.
