LOS ANGELES – Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has responded to demands from US President Donald Trump for his termination, suggesting that if “low ratings” are grounds for dismissal, the President should also be unemployed.
The conflict intensified during a Thursday broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the presenter addressed public pressure exerted by the White House on the ABC network to sack him.
The dispute follows a controversial sketch during a roast of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, in which Kimmel joked that First Lady Melania Trump looked like an “expectant widow.” Days after the performance, a gunman attempted to storm the event.
Ratings and Performance Dispute
President Trump used his Truth Social platform on Thursday to call for Kimmel’s firing, targeting both the host’s comedic ability and the show’s viewership.
“When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television?” Trump wrote. “People are angry. It better be soon!!!”
During his opening monologue, Kimmel countered the President’s claims by questioning the metrics of incompetence.
“Or what?” Kimmel replied. “If incompetently presiding over not just one of, but the lowest rating in history, is the reason I should be fired we should both be out of a job, because you’re not doing too good either.”
ABC, which holds the broadcast licence for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ultimately answers to federal regulators on issues such as indecency and public interest under the Federal Communications Commission’s broadcast rules, but there is no legal obligation for the network to act on a president’s criticism of a programme’s content or ratings.
Backlash Over First Lady Remarks
The current tension stems from the “expectant widow” comment directed at Mrs Trump. The First Lady responded via X on Monday, describing the host as a “coward.”
Mrs Trump stated: “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy – his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America.”
Kimmel addressed the backlash in Monday’s episode, offering an apology for the trauma experienced by the President and the event attendees following the security breach. However, he maintained that the sketch was a “light roast” and explicitly denied that the widow joke was “a call to assassination.”
“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,” Kimmel said.
His comments reignited a long-running debate about how far satire can go when it targets political families, and about the extent to which powerful officeholders should respond by using their platforms to pressure private media companies.
Free Speech, Political Pressure and Previous Suspensions
Kimmel referenced the broader political climate regarding the freedom of the press and the right to criticize public officials. He cited several US senators and congressmen he has “made fun of repeatedly and viciously” who have not pressured ABC to terminate his contract.
The host also highlighted what he described as a contradiction in the President’s campaign rhetoric against “muzzling people you don’t agree with,” quipping, “I’m starting to think Donald Trump might be a hypocrite.”
The clash unfolds against the backdrop of long-standing First Amendment protections for speech about public figures, which give wide latitude to commentary and satire on elected officials and their families.
This incident follows a previous period of instability for the presenter:
- Kimmel was previously suspended indefinitely following comments regarding the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
- He returned to the air after five days.
- His reinstatement followed widespread criticism from Hollywood and political figures who argued his suspension infringed upon freedom of speech and signalled an overreaction to political pressure.
The recurrence of disputes over his on-air commentary has turned Kimmel into a recurring flashpoint in the culture wars, with his show functioning as both a late-night entertainment vehicle and an informal platform for opposition-style critique of the administration.
Kimmel concluded the segment by suggesting a “ceasefire agreement” between himself and the President to end the volatility. In a joke regarding the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, he proposed: “I get to keep my job, you get to end your 11th war. What do you say? We can help each other.”
The exchange leaves ABC at the centre of a familiar dilemma for US broadcasters: whether to treat direct criticism from the Oval Office as political theatre to be weathered, or as pressure that could influence programming and talent decisions. The company has so far declined to escalate the confrontation and has not issued a formal statement regarding the President’s demands for Kimmel’s termination.
For viewers, the dispute underscores the increasingly blurred line between governance and media performance, as presidents and late-night hosts use their respective platforms to frame each other as the one who should be out of a job.
