Former President Donald Trump unleashed a midnight social media tirade against television host Jimmy Kimmel, escalating their long-running feud in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The Late-Night Provocation
At 12:49 a.m. on Wednesday night, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to demand Kimmel's removal from television. The president questioned why ABC continues to employ what he called a man with no talent and poor ratings.
Trump's outburst came immediately after Kimmel dedicated ten minutes of his Wednesday monologue to targeting multiple sensitive areas of the president's public persona. The comedy segment touched on Trump's wealth, family dynamics, loyalty questions, and his historical connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein Files Controversy
The heart of Kimmel's critique focused on Trump's handling of the Epstein documents. During his 2024 campaign, Trump had promised to release the Epstein files but spent most of the year attempting to block their disclosure.
When Congress moved forward with legislation requiring the files' release, Trump suddenly claimed support for the bill. This reversal occurred despite the fact that Trump could have released the documents independently at any time without congressional action.
Kimmel didn't hesitate to highlight the irony. The host joked that Trump typically declares bankruptcy when presented with bills, but in this case, he actually signed the legislation. Kimmel further mocked that Trump hadn't been this nervous about signing something since his son Don Jr.'s birth certificate.
History of Hostile Exchanges
This represents the second time within a week that Trump has targeted a late-night television host. Over the weekend, he similarly attacked Seth Meyers of Late Night, demanding NBC fire him immediately.
The conflict with Kimmel has deeper roots. Trump appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live three times before their relationship soured, including a December 2015 appearance. Since then, Trump has repeatedly targeted Kimmel, attempting to have him censored during his first presidential term and frequently attacking him by name throughout the 2024 campaign.
In September, Trump celebrated when ABC briefly suspended Kimmel for comments about the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The former president became furious when Kimmel returned to television less than a week later and threatened legal action against the network.
Trump's Wednesday night attack on Kimmel was one of three messages the president posted after midnight. In other posts, he boasted about having one of the ten best opening months for a president in history and praised soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo as smart and cool following his White House visit.
