Maher and Kimmel’s Cross-Network Parody of Trump’s FCC Feud Backfires Spectacularly, Triggering Presidential Outburst

By James Poniewozik and Michael M. Grynbaum Washington — Dec. 2, 2025

President Donald J. Trump, whose second term has been defined by an unyielding vendetta against late-night television, descended into a visible on-camera breakdown during a surprise call-in to Fox News on Monday, mere hours after a chaotic crossover parody segment between Bill Maher and Jimmy Kimmel mocked his administration’s media crackdowns as a “dictator’s wet dream.” The fictional skit, broadcast simultaneously on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” — a rare inter-network stunt approved by Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney executives — depicted Mr. Trump as a bumbling autocrat puppeteering FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to silence critics, complete with props like a “Cancel Button” shaped like the president’s hair. The bit, intended as satire, veered off the rails when technical glitches exposed raw improvisations, including Mr. Maher’s ad-libbed quip: “Trump’s not building walls; he’s building firewalls around the truth.” The humiliation, viewed by a combined 5.8 million, has sent Mar-a-Lago into meltdown mode, with Mr. Trump lashing out in a disjointed Fox appearance that aides called “unhinged” and Democrats seized as midterm gold.

The parody’s genesis traced to a shared frustration: Mr. Maher’s HBO show faced a September FCC probe over a segment joking about Mr. Trump’s Epstein ties, while Mr. Kimmel endured a two-week suspension in October for similar barbs linking MAGA to the Charlie Kirk assassination. Producers billed the Sunday night event as “Late Night Rebellion,” a 10-minute pre-taped crossover where Mr. Maher, dialing in from his Beverly Hills studio, “interviewed” Mr. Kimmel as a “censored ghost” haunting the airwaves. “Bill, Trump’s FCC is like the Mafia — but with worse hair and no code of honor,” Mr. Kimmel opened, donning a ghostly sheet with FCC logos. Mr. Maher retorted: “Jimmy, he’s turning TV into his personal Truth Social — one wrong joke, and you’re deplatformed faster than a QAnon theorist at a fact-check.” The skit escalated with props: A puppet Carr, voiced by comedian John Di Domenico, intoned: “We can do this the easy way or the Trump way — which is the same, but with more lawsuits.” But midway, a glitch looped audio of Mr. Maher’s unscripted rant: “This guy’s breaking down democracy one remote at a time — and his base cheers like it’s a rally.” The unpolished moment, left in for “authenticity,” drew gasps from both audiences and trended under #MaherKimmelMeltdown.

Mr. Trump’s reaction detonated by 11 p.m., a frantic call-in to Sean Hannity’s Fox show that aides said was unvetted. Pacing on camera from his Mar-a-Lago study, the president appeared disheveled, his voice cracking: “Maher and Kimmel, two washed-up hacks, spewing their FAKE parody — it’s a HOAX! My FCC is PROTECTING America from their filth. They’re the ones breaking down — low ratings, no laughs! Cancel THEM!” The segment, meant as a rebuttal, devolved into a ramble about “deep state comics” and Epstein “lies,” viewed 6.1 million times before Fox cut to commercial amid visible concern from Mr. Hannity. “He broke down — sweating, repeating lines. It was raw panic,” one White House source said anonymously. By dawn, Mr. Trump’s Truth Social feed exploded with 800 words across 12 posts, calling the duo “degenerate clowns” and vowing to “revoke their licenses forever.”

Mar-a-Lago descended into chaos: Aides leaked accounts of Mr. Trump smashing a vase during a donor dinner, ordering Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to summon Mr. Carr for an emergency briefing. “He’s unraveling — the parody hit his ego like a freight train,” a communications official said. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a defensive memo to affiliates, framing the skit as “indecent collusion,” but the backlash boomeranged: HBO and ABC stocks dipped 2 percent amid MAGA boycott calls from the Family Research Council, threatening $12 million in ad revenue.

The takedown has supercharged a broader media war. Late-night allies rallied: Seth Meyers quipped on NBC, “Trump breaks down? That’s not news — it’s his default mode.” Stephen Colbert, now podcast-only, dedicated an episode: “Maher and Kimmel exposed the emperor’s new mute button.” On X, #TrumpBreakdown surged with 3.9 million mentions, blending clips of his Fox meltdown with parody memes of him as a glitchy puppet. Democrats amplified the frenzy: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., held a news conference with the segment playing: “This isn’t comedy; it’s confession — Trump’s dark secret is his thin skin.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., subpoenaed FCC records, tying the feud to hearings on “government censorship.”

Republicans showed cracks: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox the parody was “over the line,” but urged “cooler heads.” Moderates like Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., co-sponsored a Democratic bill shielding broadcasters. Polling from a G.O.P. firm leaked to Politico showed Mr. Trump’s approval among independents at 36 percent, with the meltdown cited as “embarrassing.”

For Mr. Maher, 69, and Mr. Kimmel, 58, the off-rails bit was vindication. Mr. Maher texted staff post-taping: “Glitches happen — truth doesn’t.” Mr. Kimmel’s ratings spiked 40 percent; HBO’s streamed 2.1 million. “We humiliated him? He did that himself,” Mr. Kimmel said in a teaser.

Historians frame the showdown as a digital-age escalation of presidential-media clashes. “Trump thrives on spectacle — but when satire turns the mirror, it shatters,” said Kathryn Cramer Brownell of Purdue. As midterms loom, the meltdown endures: One parody gone rogue, and Mar-a-Lago’s fortress crumbles.