The feud between Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel has never been subtle, restrained, or particularly diplomatic. But this latest exchange — sparked by a string of pointed comments and amplified by social media — has pushed their long-running animosity right back into the spotlight. With Thanksgiving near, one thing is obvious: these two won’t be sharing a table anytime soon.
The simmering tension reignited earlier this fall when Jimmy Kimmel found himself at the center of a controversy that briefly got him pulled off the air. It began with comments he made about the late Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized Trump for publicly mourning Kirk while, in the same breath, praising renovations at the White House. The combination struck Kimmel as opportunistic, and he didn’t hold back on his show. He went even further, blasting efforts by some in the MAGA movement who were trying to distance the shooter from their political ideology. “We hit some new lows,” he said, “with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
The backlash was immediate and intense. ABC suspended Kimmel for the remarks, which Trump applauded publicly. But the suspension triggered its own wave of outrage — this time directed at the network for caving to political pressure. ABC soon reinstated Kimmel, and instead of quieting down, the comedian came back with even more bite. The ordeal didn’t chastise him. It energized him.
In the weeks that followed, Kimmel continued to needle Trump on air, including mocking him for once again missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize he felt should have been his. Kimmel’s monologues often walked right up to the edge, but his comments about Trump referring to a female reporter as “piggy” crossed into headline territory. “He called her piggy,” Kimmel said in disbelief. “If a man spoke like that to a female coworker in a workplace harassment training video, you’d think, ‘Okay, relax, nobody would actually say that.’ Yet here we are.”
Kimmel’s punchline landed hard: Trump, he claimed, was “not a happy little meal” — a dig referencing both Trump’s mood and his tendency to lash out at critics.
Trump didn’t stay quiet. On November 20, he unloaded on Truth Social with a familiar mix of fury and insult. “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?” he wrote. “Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage. Get the bum off the air!!!” The phrasing, unmistakably Trump, hit every note his supporters expect: personal disparagement, network distrust, and the demand for consequences.
Despite the outburst, no one actually expects ABC to fire Kimmel. Network executives still feel the sting of the public reaction to the earlier suspension, and after reinstating him, they’re unlikely to take action that looks like political obedience. If anything, the suspension only fortified Kimmel’s position — and his resolve to keep pushing back.
Meanwhile, the White House has offered its own perspective on the “piggy” comment. Trump hasn’t addressed the remark personally, but an official told People magazine that the reporter in question had provoked it through “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior” toward colleagues during a press flight. The implication was that Trump’s response, while blunt, was simply returning fire. “If you’re going to give it,” the official said, “you have to be able to take it.”
In a political climate where comedy and news blur constantly, the Trump–Kimmel feud has essentially become its own recurring episode. Kimmel knows he’s playing to an audience that loves his brand of mockery. Trump knows his base expects him to hit back twice as hard. Neither man shows the slightest interest in softening the blows.
But underneath the theatrics is a deeper tension that has been brewing for years. Kimmel’s comedic persona shifted during Trump’s first term, especially after emotional monologues on healthcare and mass shootings made him a more political figure than he had ever been before. Trump, who bristles at entertainers who openly mock him, has long considered Kimmel a legitimate adversary rather than a mere comedian. The two have been locked in this cycle of jab and counterjab ever since.
This latest round makes it clear that nothing has changed. Kimmel continues to treat Trump as a comedic punching bag. Trump continues to treat Kimmel as a disrespectful nuisance who should be removed from television altogether. And meanwhile, audiences tune in, scroll, react, and keep the cycle spinning.
Late-night TV has always involved political jokes, but rarely with this level of intensity — in part because few presidents have responded so often and so directly to comedians’ remarks. Trump injects fuel into the fire every time he replies, and Kimmel uses that fuel to keep the flames burning on his stage. Neither man seems capable of letting the feud die, because their conflict benefits them in entirely different ways: Kimmel gets jokes, ratings, and viral clips. Trump gets outrage, loyalty from supporters, and a familiar enemy to rally against.
So as the holiday season approaches, one thing is certain: these two aren’t offering each other peace or goodwill anytime soon. Their public spat continues to grow, shaped by politics, media, personal irritation, and the knowledge that both their audiences thrive on confrontation.
The Trump–Kimmel feud isn’t just entertainment anymore — it’s a strange, unending loop of provocation and retaliation, part political theater and part late-night spectacle. And like every good spectacle, it’s likely to continue as long as people keep watching.