Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel has launched a blistering counter-attack against former President Donald Trump, dedicating a significant portion of his show to their escalating public feud. The 58-year-old comedian used his opening monologue to respond to a series of insults Trump had posted on his Truth Social platform.
Kimmel Fires Back After Trump's 'Get The Bum Off The Air' Demand
The conflict intensified when, nearly fifteen minutes after Kimmel's Wednesday night show concluded, Trump took to social media to post: 'Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?' The former president ended his message with a forceful, 'Get the bum off the air!!!'
Kimmel addressed this directly during Thursday's broadcast, spending the first twelve minutes of his programme targeting his arch-nemesis. He opened with a sarcastic welcome to his viewers, stating, 'I would like to welcome our viewers watching from around the country, all around the world. A special hello to those of you who are watching from the White House, and you know who you are!'
He expressed amusement that the Republican was watching the show live, saying, 'Hi, Mr. President. How are you? Thanks for watching us on TV instead of on YouTube. We appreciate that. And I'll tell you, it's viewers like you who keep us on the air, ironically.'
Epstein Files and a History of Cancellation Attempts
The late-night host didn't hold back, linking Trump's criticism to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files. Kimmel remarked, '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.' He directly challenged Trump using the former president's own words, telling him, 'If I may borrow a phrase from you: "Quiet piggy."'
Kimmel highlighted that this was not an isolated incident, revealing that Trump has repeatedly tried to have him removed from television. 'I have honestly lost count now of how many times the president has demanded I be pulled off the air,' he said. 'I mean, talk about a snowflake. This guy, every five weeks, he flips out and wants me fired.'
He reminded the audience that Trump had previously succeeded in having his show cancelled at the eleventh hour, though ABC swiftly reinstated the popular host after significant backlash. Issuing a direct challenge, Kimmel stated, '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.'
A Scathing Verdict on the Trump Presidency
Kimmel concluded his extensive takedown with a harsh assessment of Trump's time in office, labelling him an 'explosively unstable disaster'. To underscore his point, he noted that even famously conservative former Vice President Dick Cheney did not vote for Trump, instead choosing to support Kamala Harris.
Summing up his view of the Trump presidency with a characteristically crude joke, Kimmel said, 'That's it. You don't need to know anything else to know what a garden hose full of diarrhea this presidency has been.'
This public spat is part of a broader pattern, with Trump having also previously called for the shows of other late-night hosts, including NBC's Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, to be axed.
