Kimmel Responds to Trump’s Criticism
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at President Trump on Thursday after Trump suggested he should be removed from the air. Kimmel didn’t hold back during his show, poking fun at Trump’s approval ratings and saying he would only leave ABC’s late-night program if Trump exited the White House.
“How about this? When you go, I go too, okay? We’re going to be a team. Let’s ride off into the sunset together, like Butch Cassidy and the Tanned Kid,” Kimmel joked.
His remarks came as a reply to a post Trump made on Truth Social earlier that morning, where he labeled Kimmel biased and urged ABC to let him go. Trump wrote, “Why does ABC Fake News continue to air Jimmy Kimmel, who has no talent and has very low TV ratings? Why would TV syndicates put up with that? Also, completely biased reporting. Get him off the air!!!”
Kimmel read Trump’s comments aloud on his show, insinuating that Trump is a “bad guy.” He also quipped about Trump watching his show, noting the timing of Trump’s post—12:49 a.m.—just minutes after Kimmel’s show concluded on the East Coast. “Hello, Mr. President! How are you? Thank you for watching us on TV instead of YouTube. The irony is that it’s viewers like you who keep us on the air,” he said.
In addition to the back-and-forth over ratings, Kimmel suggested, somewhat provocatively, that Trump had ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “I’m also happy that even in the midst of the biggest sex scandal in the history of an American president, he would take the time out of his bathroom to post about our show,” Kimmel remarked.
Kimmel insisted they should seriously consider Trump’s criticisms about ratings, saying, “If anyone knows about bad ratings, it’s him,” while flashing a montage of news reports about Trump’s sagging approval numbers. He pointed out that Trump has previously made similar pleas for him to be taken off-air, calling the president a “snowflake.” He added, “When you’re getting this many threats from your neighbors, there’s nothing wrong with getting a restraining order.”
The White House did not comment on these remarks when approached for a response.
Kimmel also revisited a moment from September, reminding Trump, “You tried to fire me in September, and it didn’t work.” This reference came after a controversy regarding a claim Kimmel made about the murder suspect Tyler Robinson being a Trump supporter, which had led to his show being briefly suspended.
Some liberal commentators have suggested that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr may have influenced ABC to put Kimmel’s show on hold, citing his comments in a conservative radio interview about potential pathways for the FCC to hold ABC accountable.
