Donald Trump, Jimmy Kimmel go back-and-forth on social media ... again
By Matt Moore
Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel can't seem to quit each other. The former president and current late-night TV host added another chapter in their feud over the weekend, trading shots on social media once more.
It's no secret that Jimmy Kimmel Live! has flourished during the Trump years. Kimmel's monologues, sketches, and interviews aimed at taking down Team Trump have helped make his ABC show one of late-night's best. It's also part of why the network rewarded Kimmel with a new contract.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump hasn't tried to hide the fact late-night TV easily gets under his skin. From Saturday Night Live to Jimmy Fallon, the ex-president has shared more criticism of the genre than most television critics.
But Trump seems to hold a special place in his heart for Jimmy Kimmel. More evidence came out over the weekend as Trump bashed Kimmel on Truth Social.
"Remember this?" Trump captioned a video of Kimmel teasing him during the Oscars. "What a dope! His wife and agent begged him not to do it, and just before BEST PICTURE AWARD, yet. He suffers from TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. All of this on top of really bad rating for Jimmy, just like failing Bill Maher and the two clowns on CBS and NBC! NO TALENT EQUALS BAD RATINGS!!"
Maher, Stephen Colbert, and (probably) Seth Meyers caught some collateral damage in Trump's latest attack on Jimmy Kimmel. Why Trump is revisiting the Oscars from March isn't clear -- a fact that wasn't lost on Kimmel when he responded via Instagram.
"Thank you, former President Trump, for again reminding America that everyone laughed at you at the Oscars," Kimmel wrote. "While the haters say you should be focused on the 'important' things, know that I appreciate you always including me and I look forward to visiting you often in jail. (PS - don’t forget to watch tomorrow night with my guest Gov Tim Walz!)"
Kimmel has admitted that he gets immense joy out of Trump calling him out by name. The late-night host figures he's doing his job if an ex-president just a month out from an election is fixated on a throwaway joke.
But it's not the first time Trump has revisited Oscars night. A month after the event, Trump posted about it again, only to confuse Jimmy Kimmel with Al Pacino. Kimmel responded by suggesting it was time to "take away the keys" from Trump.
Expect Jimmy Kimmel to share a more detailed response during his monologue on Monday night. It will only bring more attention to an episode that already features Governor Tim Walz' late-night TV debut.