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He’d just been announced as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination and sat comfortably on an armchair opposite Kimmel, while the pair gabbed like old friends.
Trump celebrated Kimmel being pulled off air over a controversial comment about Charlie Kirk’s assassination in a scathing post on Truth Social, describing his former talkshow chum as having “zero talent” with “worse ratings” than Stephen Colbert, whose own show was recently cancelled.
They were once friends – or at least amicable entertainment industry colleagues.
So, where did it all go wrong for Kimmel and Trump?
Kimmel’s early criticism of Trump over healthcare bill
Their now-public feud subtly began in 2017 after Trump secured the presidency in a race against Hillary Clinton the previous November.
Kimmel had already moved towards light political satire and spent a great deal of his opening monologues poking fun at Trump.
This time, it was personal.
He spoke on-air about Trump and the Republican Party’s bid to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
An emotional Kimmel told viewers his own son was born with a rare heart defect.
He tearfully said that, before Obamacare, people like his child may not have been able to have health insurance due to it being labelled a “pre-existing” condition.
Later that year, he accused Trump on his show of being willing to “sign anything if it meant getting rid of Obamacare”, referring to the Graham–Cassidy health care amendment.
“For Donald Trump, this isn’t about the Graham-Cassidy bill. It’s about getting rid of Obamacare, which he hates, primarily because Obama’s name is on it,” Kimmel said.
“At this point, he would sign anything if it meant getting rid of Obamacare.
“He’d sign copies of the Koran at the Barnes and Noble in Fallujah, if it meant he could get rid of Obamacare.”
He also claimed Trump “doesn’t know anything” about the bill.
When he faced criticism for straying outside of comedy with political commentary, Kimmel fired back once again on-air.
“I feel like it’s my duty to remind these people who are so concerned about my qualifications: the guy you voted for president – his job qualification was this: he fired Meatloaf. And you put him in the White House,” he said.
Emotional plea to Trump for action on gun violence
Kimmel has been vocal in his criticism over America’s gun laws.
In 2018, he took aim at the president for his response after 17 were killed at a mass shooting in South Florida.
“Children are being murdered,” Kimmel said.
“Do something. We still haven’t even talked about it, you still haven’t done anything about it.”
He also pointed out that Trump nullified an Obama-backed rule which added people with mental illnesses to a national background check database for gun purchases.
Trump blasts Kimmel’s show as ‘fake news’
Trump was an early adopter of so-called “fake news” media critique and used this term to describe Kimmel’s late-night show in 2020.
Kimmel claimed on his show that then-Vice President Mike Pence delivered fake boxes of PPE during the pandemic in 2020.
Trump took to his former platform of choice Twitter, now X, and said: “More Fake News, this time from Jimmy Kimmel’s last place show!”
That same year, Trump called the host a “wacko ‘last placer'” in a post congratulating TV presenter Greg Gutfield on his ratings.
Trump administration tries to intervene
Rolling Stone reported in 2023 that members of the Trump administration once complained to Disney, the parent company of ABC which airs Jimmy Kimmel Live!, over the constant Trump barbs.
The publication claimed the White House pressured Disney to censor Kimmel’s monologues which included any anti-Trump sentiment.
Kimmel was the host of the Oscars in 2024 and used the stage to openly mock Trump’s real-time online criticism of him.
Between his monologue and returning to the stage, Trump penned a fiery message on Truth Social where he slammed Kimmel’s performance.
“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be. Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos,” Trump wrote.
“He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous.”
Kimmel used his sharp wit to hit back on-stage.
“Blah, blah, blah… OK, now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that on TruthSocial. Anyone? No?” he said.
“Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still – isn’t it past your jail time?”
In response, Trump tried to hit Kimmel where it hurts: his ratings.
“His ratings are terrible, he’s not a talented guy,” Trump told Fox News shortly after.
“I hear he hits me all the time, so I figured I’d hit him, because I thought he was a lousy host.”
Feud reignites after 2024 election
When Trump clinched the 2024 presidential election against Kamala Harris, Kimmel returned to air with a piercing criticism of the re-elected president.
He was visibly emotional as he addressed viewers in the aftermath of the election.
“Let’s be honest. It was a terrible night last night,” he said.
“It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech.
“It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on Social Security, for our allies in Ukraine, for NATO, for the truth and democracy and decency.”
The host accused the MAGA movement of scoring political points off the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, a comment which prompted Disney’s ABC to suspend the show.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson told CNN, declining to share any further details.
Trump was fast to respond with celebratory post on Truth Social.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”
Kimmel is yet to respond, however is said to be “livid” over the decision, according to US media reports.
