Trump Renews Call to Fire Kimmel After Late-Night Host’s Epstein Jabs, Citing ‘Biased Coverage’

By Sarah Ellison The New York Times November 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — President Trump demanded the firing of Jimmy Kimmel late Wednesday night on Truth Social, accusing the ABC late-night host of “totally biased coverage” in a monologue that roasted Mr. Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files — a plea that echoed his September call for the comedian’s ouster and has since reignited a fierce media feud, complete with viral backlash and threats to the network’s broadcast license.

Mr. Trump’s post, timestamped 12:49 a.m. Eastern time — just 11 minutes after “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” ended on the East Coast — targeted Mr. Kimmel’s Tuesday monologue, where the host mocked the president’s abrupt reversal on a bipartisan bill to unseal Epstein’s documents. “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?” Mr. Trump wrote, tagging Disney CEO Bob Iger and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee. “Get the bum off the air!!!”

The demand comes amid heightened scrutiny of broadcasters, following Mr. Trump’s threats to revoke ABC’s license after an October exchange with an ABC News reporter over the Epstein files. In September, similar pressure from Mr. Carr and affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair led to a weeklong suspension of Mr. Kimmel’s show over comments linking a conservative activist’s death to MAGA rhetoric — a hiatus the host blamed on White House meddling.

Mr. Kimmel, 58, whose contract expires in May, responded in Thursday’s monologue with a mix of nonchalance and sharp wit, recounting the moment his wife broke the news. “I woke up this morning, I’m in bed. My wife comes out of the bathroom — she’s got her phone. She goes, ‘Um, Trump tweeted you should be fired again.’ I was like, ‘Oh.’ And then I went downstairs and made bagels for the kids,” he said, drawing immediate laughter from the Los Angeles audience. The host, who has sparred with Mr. Trump since the 2016 campaign, feigned exasperation: “I have honestly lost count now of how many times the president has demanded I be pulled off the air. Talk about a snowflake, this guy. Every five weeks, he flips out and wants me fired.”

The segment, viewed by 4.2 million — its highest Thursday rating in months — replayed Mr. Trump’s testy exchange with Bloomberg News correspondent Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One last Friday, where the president snapped, “Quiet, piggy!” when pressed on his Epstein ties. “It’s also sweet that, even in the middle of the biggest sex scandal in the history of the American presidency, he takes precious time on the toilet to post about our show,” Mr. Kimmel quipped, alluding to the early-morning timing. He flashed a graphic of Mr. Trump’s dipping approval ratings — 39 percent per Quinnipiac — before delivering the viral zinger: “Mr. President, I admire your tenacity. If you’re watching tonight, which I presume you are, how about this: I’ll go when you go, OK? We’ll be a team. Let’s ride off into the sunset together like Butch Cassidy and the Suntan Kid. And until then, if I may borrow a phrase from you: Quiet, piggy.”

The studio erupted in cheers, with audience members on their feet as confetti cannons fired — a spontaneous production flourish that extended the ovation for nearly 30 seconds. The “Quiet, piggy” retort, echoing Mr. Trump’s own words, has amassed over 45 million views across platforms, trending worldwide under #QuietPiggy with TikTok duets lip-syncing the line over clips of the president’s scowl. Comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted: “Kimmel just turned Trump’s pig slop into prime-time gold. I’ll go when you go? Iconic.”

At Mar-a-Lago, where Mr. Trump was hosting a post-Thanksgiving donor brunch, the reaction was one of contained fury. Two people familiar with the gathering, speaking on condition of anonymity, described aides monitoring the broadcast on a side screen; when the “Suntan Kid” jab landed — a nod to Mr. Trump’s signature complexion — the president paused mid-conversation, his face reddening, before muttering to an adviser, “That clown thinks he’s funny? Tell ABC they’re done.” By early afternoon, Mr. Trump had amplified the feud on Truth Social, reposting supporter memes of Mr. Kimmel as a “deep-state puppet” and renewing threats against the network’s broadcast license. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during Friday’s briefing, dismissed the exchange as “Hollywood irrelevance,” but insiders say the president views Mr. Kimmel as a personal affront, watching episodes religiously despite public denials.

The dust-up highlights the precarious position of late-night comedy in Mr. Trump’s America. Mr. Kimmel’s show, buoyed by a 25 percent uptick in young adult ratings since January, has seen viewership surge amid anti-Trump segments. Yet the host’s future remains uncertain; ABC executives, navigating pressure from the FCC and affiliates wary of alienating conservative audiences, have yet to extend his deal beyond May. “Jimmy’s leverage is his audience, but Trump’s leverage is the government,” one network source said, speaking anonymously to discuss internal deliberations. Mr. Kimmel, in a post-show interview with TMZ, shrugged: “If they want me gone, fine. But until then, I’ve got a microphone — and he’s got a button. Guess which one scares me more?”

For Mr. Trump, the episode underscores a second-term vulnerability: a thin skin that amplifies minor slights into national spectacles, even as his administration grapples with the Epstein files’ December release and a government shutdown now in its 14th day. Allies like Representative Jim Jordan have floated legislation to “reform” broadcast indecency rules, but even they caution against overreach. “He’s punching down at a comedian while polls tank — not smart,” one House Republican said privately.

The “Quiet, piggy” clip, slowed for emphasis on TikTok and stitched into reaction videos by everyone from Gen Z influencers to Vietnam vets, has transcended late-night fodder into cultural shorthand for Mr. Trump’s combative style. Late-night peers piled on: Stephen Colbert’s band debuted a mock “piggy polka” during his opener, while Seth Meyers deadpanned: “Trump calls for Kimmel’s firing? That’s rich — the guy who fired everyone on ‘The Apprentice’ now wants HR involved.”

As the feud endures — a microcosm of broader cultural divides in an era where presidents tweet and hosts roast — Mr. Kimmel’s parting shot resonates: “I’ll go when you go.” In Washington’s pressure cooker, that sunset ride may arrive sooner than either imagines.