Jimmy Kimmel was joined by Jon Stewart during a live taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, in a gag that took aim at President Donald Trump's threats against late-night hosts. Stewart, dressed as a GrubHub delivery driver, handed a pizza to Kimmel's sidekick, Guillermo, joking that he had taken on 'side hustles' due to the lack of job security for talk show hosts.
The sketch comes amid ongoing tensions between Trump and late-night television. Kimmel was recently suspended by ABC over comments about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, sparking an outcry over free speech. Trump publicly celebrated the suspension and also threatened to 'test ABC out' after Kimmel's return, claiming the host was an 'arm of the DNC' and that his show constituted an 'illegal campaign contribution.'
Stewart's visit concluded with Kimmel urging him to leave the stage so he could finish his monologue. Stewart retorted: 'Oh I'm sorry, Mr. Free Speech! I forgot free speech, it's only for Mr. Free Speech, I'm sorry!' before hugging Kimmel and saying, 'I love you.'
Earlier this week, Kimmel and Stephen Colbert teamed up to roast Trump in a rare crossover event. Kimmel joked: 'I am so honored to be here with my fellow no-talent, late-night loser.' Stewart, who has largely avoided Trump's ire, attributed this to a 'function of relevance,' noting that Trump once called him a 'p****' on Twitter before becoming president.
After Kimmel's suspension, over 400 Hollywood and Broadway stars signed an open letter organised by the ACLU, condemning the suspension as an unconstitutional assault on free speech. ABC reinstated Jimmy Kimmel Live! after six days, with Kimmel returning on September 23 and defending free speech, stating: 'Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television.'
