Jimmy Kimmel didn’t waste any time firing back after Donald Trump declared he was “next to go” in a post slamming late-night comedians.
In a Truth Social rant Tuesday, Trump said, “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, Fallon will be gone.”
He added, “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!”
Kimmel’s response was swift and sharp. He reposted Trump’s message on Instagram, writing, “I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret.”
That last line was a pointed jab. Kimmel was referencing a letter allegedly written by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein that ended with the phrase “every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump has denied writing the letter and is currently suing The Wall Street Journal for publishing it.
Trump’s shot at Kimmel came just days after CBS announced it was canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Trump cheered the news online: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”
Trump’s feud with Kimmel goes way back. In 2015, before things turned sour, Trump appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and even joked around, holding up a fake children’s book titled “Winners Aren’t Losers.”
But once Kimmel began calling out Trump’s policies—especially after the 2018 Parkland school shooting—the gloves came off. In an emotional monologue that year, Kimmel said, “Children are being murdered. Do something. We still haven’t even talked about it; you still haven’t done anything about it.”
The war of words escalated even more at last year’s Oscars. As Kimmel hosted live, Trump posted, “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 didn’t miss a beat. He read Trump’s message on air and shot back: “See if you can guess which former president just posted that on Truth Social.” Then he smiled and added: “Isn’t it past your jail time?”
