US President Donald Trump has renewed his feud with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, demanding that ABC take him off the air after a monologue mocking Trump over the ongoing Epstein files controversy.
Kimmel had joked that “Hurricane Epstein” was about to “make landfall,” adding that the country was getting closer to learning “what did the president know and how old were these women when he knew it?”
He also teased Trump with lines such as, “Trump hasn’t been this nervous about signing something since Don Jr’s birth certificate,” and mocked several of the president’s past claims in a montage aired during the show.
The episode, which Kimmel described as tracking the path of “Hurricane Epstein,” calling it “a category 5,” also referenced Trump’s dinner with Elon Musk, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller and JD Vance.
“It was like an alumni dinner for the Legion of Doom,” Kimmel said. “This group is so cartoonishly evil that we might actually need Austin Powers to defeat them.”
Trump lashed out in anger, writing on Truth Social: “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air? Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage.
Get the bum off the air!!!”
His latest outburst came just after he signed a bill urging the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. Trump has grown increasingly irritated with questions about the case, even telling a reporter, “quiet, piggy,” when asked about newly surfaced emails mentioning him.
The White House has also escalated its criticism of ABC News, accusing the network of “hoaxes,” “one-sided attacks,” and trying to “wage war on President Trump and the millions who elected him.”
Trump Kimmel feud
The clash between Trump and Kimmel intensified earlier this year after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly taken off the air following the host’s controversial remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump had hailed the suspension as “Great News for America” before ABC brought the programme back a week later. Kimmel’s return drew 6.3 million viewers, while his opening monologue amassed over 14 million views on YouTube.
The episode also unfolded amid regulatory pressure, with FCC chairman Brendan Carr suggesting that broadcasters failing to “serve the public interest” could face license scrutiny. In response, major media groups, including Nexstar and Sinclair, temporarily pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! ABC also suspended the show. The show resumed on 23 September.
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