Jimmy Kimmel and US President Donald Trump have reignited their long-running feud, with the late-night host issuing a biting on-air response to Trump’s latest personal attack. The exchange unfolded after the President took to social media to label Kimmel “a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS” and urged ABC to “Get the bum off the air!!!”.
Kimmel responded during Thursday’s edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live, dismissing the insult and turning it into comedic material, particularly by mocking Trump’s historically low approval ratings during his second term. “He keeps saying we have bad ratings. And you should listen to him — because if anyone knows about bad ratings, it’s that guy!” he said.
Noting that Trump posted the message only minutes after the East Coast broadcast of his show ended, Kimmel thanked the President sarcastically for watching. “He watches us live… Hi, Mr President, how are you? Thanks for watching us on TV instead of YouTube. It’s viewers like you who keep us on the air, ironically,” he added. He continued by linking Trump’s post to the wider controversy currently surrounding the White House. “It’s also sweet that even in the middle of the biggest sex scandal in the history of the American presidency, he takes precious time on the toilet to post about our show,” Kimmel said.
The comedian also described how he learned of Trump’s renewed call for his dismissal. “I woke up this morning, I’m in bed, my wife comes out of the bathroom – she’s got her phone. She goes, ‘Um, Trump tweeted you should be fired again.’ I was like, ‘Oh,’ and then I went downstairs and made bagels for the kids.”
Tensions between the pair have simmered for years, at times drawing in ABC executives. In September, the network briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live after the host made remarks following the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk. Trump celebrated the move, calling Kimmel’s show “ratings-challenged” and saying, “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” Kimmel returned to air within a week after widespread backlash aimed at ABC’s parent company, Disney.
Referencing that earlier clash, Kimmel told viewers, “You’ve done this before. You tried to get me fired in September. It didn’t work. Mr President, I admire your tenacity. If you’re watching tonight, which I presume you are, how about this? I’ll go when you go.” He closed his monologue by riffing on Trump’s recent confrontation with a Bloomberg journalist. “We’ll be a team. Let’s ride off into the sunset together – like Butch Cassidy and the Suntan Kid. And until then – if I may borrow a phrase from you… quiet, Piggy!”
The “quiet, piggy” reference echoed Trump’s recent retort to a reporter who questioned him about the Epstein files — a topic Kimmel had focused on heavily in his Wednesday monologue, prompting Trump’s social media response soon after. With Kimmel’s current contract ending this season, it remains unclear whether he intends to stay with the programme beyond that point.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
