Jimmy Kimmel hits back at Trump after the former president threatened legal action against ABC, mocking Trump’s claims of low ratings and his penchant for bullying.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel didn’t hold back during his return to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 24, responding to former President Donald Trump’s recent comments about his suspension and potential legal action against ABC.
Kimmel’s show had been briefly suspended following his comments on the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, leading to widespread reactions. While some celebrated Disney and ABC for their decision to pause the show, others saw it as an attack on free speech. Trump was quick to weigh in, posting on Truth Social that he relished the suspension and took shots at Kimmel’s return.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump wrote, commenting that the White House had been told Kimmel’s show was canceled, and suggesting ABC’s audience for Kimmel’s show was dwindling. He added, “Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”
In his return monologue, Kimmel wasted no time addressing Trump’s statements, taking shots at the former president and the legal threats he implied in his post. “There are still a lot of people who think I should be pulled off the air for making fun of Donald Trump,” Kimmel began. “So, I want to explain. I talk about Trump more than anything because he’s a bully. I don’t like bullies.”
Kimmel went on to mock Trump’s implied threat of legal action, joking: “Only Donald Trump would try to prove he wasn’t threatening ABC by threatening ABC.” He also referenced Trump’s tendency to create excuses for his actions, saying, “You almost have to feel sorry for the people who work for him who try to clean up the messes… And then, the second Trump is alone, he sits on the toilet, gets his grubby little thumbs on his phone, and he immediately blows their excuses to smithereens.”
The comedian didn’t stop there, taking a jab at Trump’s own struggles with popularity. Kimmel pulled up a graphic of Trump’s disapproval ratings, saying: “He does know bad ratings, he has some of the worst ratings any president has ever had.” The dig was a response to Trump’s repeated claims that Kimmel’s ratings were faltering.
Trump’s comments about Kimmel’s suspension came on the heels of his previous defamation lawsuit against ABC, in which the network paid a reported $16 million settlement after Trump accused them of defamatory coverage.
