President Donald Trump sharply criticized ABC and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, responding to a monologue in which Kimmel mocked the president’s poll numbers and condemned his decision to host a White House dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned why ABC continued to employ Kimmel, calling him “a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS.” Trump went on to accuse the network of partisan bias: “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel…on the air? Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage. Get the bum off the air!!!”
The outburst followed Kimmel’s latest segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the comedian devoted a portion of his monologue to attacking the president. Kimmel mocked Trump’s standing in public opinion polls and resurfaced Trump’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, then pivoted to the White House’s black-tie gala for the Saudi crown prince. Kimmel referred to Mohammed bin Salman as “a murderer,” criticizing Trump for hosting the event.
“They had a murderer for dinner at the White House last night,” Kimmel told viewers, before adding that Epstein and the crown prince were “so tight they would play video games together for hours,” citing writer Michael Wolff. He likened the gala to “an alumni dinner for the Legion of Doom,” and then displayed a poll showing Trump with an approval rating of 38 percent.
This latest exchange arrives after months of escalating tension between Trump and Kimmel, who has frequently centered his political commentary on the president. Trump took a victory lap earlier this year when Kimmel’s show was briefly suspended following remarks Kimmel made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote at the time. He congratulated ABC for “finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” dismissing Kimmel as having “ZERO talent.”
When the show returned, Trump renewed his attacks — this time suggesting legal action against ABC. He questioned why the network would “want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.” Trump claimed Kimmel’s approach amounted to “a major Illegal Campaign Contribution,” hinting that he might pursue litigation. “Let’s see how we do,” he wrote, recalling a previous lawsuit in which the network paid him $16 million.
While presidents have long been fodder for late-night hosts, Trump’s clashes with Kimmel have taken on a notable intensity, marked by Trump’s willingness to respond directly and publicly. For Trump, Kimmel represents what he sees as a broader ecosystem of media hostility — one he argues is politically motivated and unmoored from the preferences of viewers.
In his latest post, Trump once again framed Kimmel’s platform as failing on its own merits: “A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
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