President Donald Trump wasted little time in celebrating the “indefinite” suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the ABC show was pulled from air over comments host Kimmel made regarding the late Charlie Kirk.
“Great news for America. The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump said on Wednesday night, shortly after Kimmel’s suspension was announced. Trump went on to reference the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which was announced in July, and urged for other late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers to meet a similar fate.
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The fallout has been swift and far-reaching. Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts have rallied behind him, staunchly defending what they view to be his right to free speech, as have several of the celebrity guests who have featured on his show since its debut in 2003.
Read More: Trump Addresses Jimmy Kimmel Suspension During U.K. State Visit
Several Democratic lawmakers have also raised concerns over Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr’s push for the indefinite suspension of the show, and his subsequent comments that the FCC is “not done yet” with the changes in “the media ecosystem.” In fact, Carr has already said he’s eager to “look into” other shows, such The View, to see if they “still qualify as bona fide news programs and [are] therefore exempt from the equal opportunity regime that Congress has put in place.”
Following the fatal shooting of the influential conservative activist Kirk, and as the police continue to probe into specific motives of suspect Tyler Robinson, division between those with differing political affiliations seems to be on the rise. In light of Trump’s remarks over Kimmel, and with him and Vice President J.D. Vance encouraging a crackdown on what they perceive to be the “far-left,” some critics are accusing the Trump Administration of censorship.
While the conversation is expanding far beyond Trump and Kimmel, their long-standing feud is undeniably a focal point, and dates back long before the suspension of the latter’s talk show. While Kimmel has, like many other late-night hosts, often lambasted Trump and other lawmakers in his opening monologue, there have been some escalations between the two that have transcended the small screen.
Here’s a look at some of the previous instances whereby Trump and Kimmel have shared tense—and public—exchanges.
October 2015: Kimmel pokes fun at Trump for cancelling late-night appearance before the pair eventually sit down to speak
During Trump’s first presidential campaign, the then-Republican candidate was set to appear on Kimmel’s talk show, but cancelled at the last minute, according to the host.
“Last night, his people called and cancelled on us. They were a little bit cryptic as to why he cancelled. They said he has a major political commitment, but he did want me to relay the message to you that if he had been here, he would have been great,” Kimmel said. “But don’t worry, tonight we’re going to give everyone in the audience a basketball dipped in cologne so you can fully experience what it would have been like had Donald Trump been here.”
Trump appeared on the show two months later, with the two seemingly getting along despite the earlier signs of friction.
September 2017: Kimmel hits out at Trump over healthcare in the U.S.
Kimmel criticised Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who first coined the “Jimmy Kimmel test” in May 2017 in response to criticisms from the comedian over access to healthcare for those with pre-existing conditions and proposed changes to access by the Trump Administration, such as the Graham-Cassidy bill.
Shortly after Kimmel’s remarks, Trump posted: “I would not sign Graham-Cassidy if it did not include coverage of pre-existing conditions. It does! A great bill. Repeal and replace.”
In response, Kimmel accused Trump of signing the bill to get rid of Barack Obama’s name from healthcare legislation.
“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 alleged. “At this point he would sign anything if it meant getting rid of Obamacare.”
February 2018: Kimmel criticizes the Trump Administration over gun-safety laws
After a mass shooting at Parkland High School in Florida killed 17 people, Kimmel made a direct plea to Trump on what he thought needed to be done to address gun violence in the U.S.
Kimmel first played his audience a clip of Trump reacting to the shooting, in which the President said: “No parent should have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning.”
“Here’s what you do to fix that… tell your buddies in Congress… all the family men who care so much about their communities, that what we need are laws, real laws, that do everything possible to keep assault rifles out of the hands of people who are going to shoot our kids. Go on TV and tell them to do that,” Kimmel said.
After applause, the comedian continued: “That is a perfect example of the common sense you [Trump] said you were going to bring to the White House… Don’t you dare let anyone say it’s ‘too soon to be talking about it,’ you say that after every one of these fatal school shootings… children are being murdered.”
March 2024: Trump offers harsh review of Kimmel’s Oscar-hosting abilities mid-show. Kimmel proceeds to read it out live on-air
Toward the close of the Oscars ceremony in 2024, repeat host Kimmel announced that he wanted to share a “review” of his performance. But it hadn’t come from one of the hundreds of TV critics avidly watching the show, instead it came from Trump.
“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,” Kimmel read aloud, looking at Trump’s social media post on his cell phone.
Trump signed off his less-than-stellar review with his trademark “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Kimmel hit back, referencing Trump’s high-profile hush-money trial. “Thank you for watching,” he said. “I’m surprised you’re still up, isn’t it past your jail time?”
The moment has become a talking point once more, as Trump posted a video of the Oscars clip on Thursday, amid much talk over Kimmel’s suspension.
“Just before [the] announcement of the Best Picture of the Year, [Kimmel] felt that he had to respond to a truth put out by me toward the end of the show,” Trump said, going on to claim that Kimmel’s wife and agent had “begged” him not to do it.
July 2025: Trump warns Kimmel he’s “next” after the cancellation of Colbert’s show. Kimmel responds by referencing Jeffrey Epstein
The cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s late-night TV talk show in July was said to be down to “financial reasons” but came soon after he ridiculed CBS’ parent company, Paramount, over its $16 million legal settlement with Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.
After Colbert’s cancellation, Trump took to Truth Social with a number of celebratory messages, claiming to know that Kimmel was “next” in the firing line.
“The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented late-night sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, [Jimmy] Fallon will be gone,” Trump said. “These are people with absolutely no talent, who were paid millions of dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be great television. It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”
In response, Kimmel uploaded a screenshot of Trump’s post on his Instagram account with the caption: “I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret.” in reference to a birthday message allegedly written by the President to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The letter and the allegations against Trump were first published by the Wall Street Journal, who Trump in response opened a lawsuit against. The White House has since strongly denied that Trump wrote Epstein the birthday note, but stopped short of calling the documents fake.
Kimmel had referenced the birthday note before, when Trump initially celebrated Colbert’s cancellation.
The late-night host posted an image of himself and his family attending a “Good Trouble” protest. (The anti-Trump Administration nationwide protests that were held in honor of the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis.)
Kimmel and his family held placards that read “Make America Good Again” and “I wish we had a better President.” But it was the comedian’s caption that caught people’s attention, as he made reference to the alleged Epstein note.
“Summer family vacation! #goodtrouble,” Kimmel said, adding: “May every day be another wonderful secret.”
September 2025: Trump dismisses reporter’s question over free speech concerns and claims Kimmel was “fired” for “lack of talent”
After initially celebrating Kimmel’s suspension via his social media platform, Trump doubled down on his commentary about the talk show host during a press briefing in the U.K., held as part of his second state visit.
Trump was asked if “free speech [is] more under attack in Britain or America,” by a reporter who directly mentioned the suspension of Kimmel.
“Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else,” Trump claimed in response. “He said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk… they should have fired him a long time ago. You can call that ‘free speech’ or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”