Late night host Jimmy Kimmel called President Donald Trump a “terrible” host after he promised to do a better job hosting the Kennedy Center Honors over the weekend.
“If I can't beat Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, I don't think I should be president,” Trump, 79, told reporters in the Oval Office ahead of Sunday night's event.
During his opening monologue Monday, Kimmel, 58, said, “I don't think I've ever agreed to anything more. Does he think he knows I've never hosted the Kennedy Center Honors? Maybe he's confusing me with Queen Latifah?”
“When it comes to 'who has more talent,' does it seem like he's challenging me to a contest? If so, I'm up for it. Let's do it. Let's have a talent contest,” Kimmel said in response to President Trump's criticism.
“Here, we'll tell some jokes. He'll draw some pictures. He'll play the clarinet. He can play golf. He can bash porn stars and destroy countries.”
Kimmel went on to joke that President Trump's comments were “very hurtful.”
“I thought we were friends. I don't know what's going on. He's getting really attached. I'm starting to think he might have feelings for me.”
At the end of the monologue, Kimmel confirmed his contract extension with “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” And he acknowledged that President Trump might not be too happy about that.
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“The last thing I want to do is upset you at this sensitive time,” Kimmel told Trump. “But I have some more entertainment news to share: I've decided to extend my contract here at ABC for another year.”
Kimmel joked that the show would run until May 2027 or until the world ends, whichever comes first.
“I thought about it, thought about it, and decided that I wanted to spend less time with my family,” Kimmel continued. “So, to our viewers here and at home, I'm honored and humbled to be a part of your routines, whether it's in bed at night or when you're on the toilet in the morning. It means so much to me to have your attention.”
Kimmel's multi-year contract with ABC was set to expire next May. With this extension, broadcasting will continue until at least May 2027.
The late-night show host also shared the news on Instagram, writing, “Happy to announce another year of no talent!”
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Kimmel's future was in jeopardy when ABC took Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air in September. After public backlash for his comments following the killing of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a Turning Point USA rally on September 10, ABC lifted his suspension and Kimmel returned to the air with much higher ratings than before.
He continued his persistent jokes at the president's expense, prompting President Trump in a social media post last month to urge networks to “take the sarcasm off the air.” The post followed Kimmel's roughly 10-minute monologue about the Trump and Jeffrey Epstein files.
In his monologue, Kimmel made the remarks a day after passing a bill that would require the Justice Department to release files on deceased convicted sex offenders. “We're one step closer to answering the questions: What did the president know? And how old were these women when he knew?”
Hours after the show aired, President Trump posted on Truth Social: “Jimmy Kimmel is live!” It should be taken off the air again.
“Why does ABC Fake News continue to air Jimmy Kimmel, a man with no talent and very low TV ratings?” Trump wrote. “Why do TV syndicates put up with it?”
Trump also said Kimmel's comments were “completely biased.”
— Rachel Goodman of Global News with files from The Associated Press
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