🔥 BREAKING: Jimmy Kimmel UNLEASHES BRUTAL LIVE-TV ROAST That Sends Trump Into FULL MELTDOWN ⚡

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald J. Trump spent the Thanksgiving holiday at Mar-a-Lago, issuing what began as a familiar holiday message before veering into the dark, grievance-laden language that has defined much of his recent public communication. “A very happy Thanksgiving,” he wrote, to “our great American citizens and patriots who’ve been so nice.” Then, without transition, he accused the country of allowing itself to be “divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at.”

For many critics, including late-night hosts who have long lampooned the former president, it was yet another example of Mr. Trump’s increasingly apocalyptic tone. But for one comedian in particular — Jimmy Kimmel — it marked the latest turn in a relationship that has grown from light mockery into one of the most contentious public feuds between a president and a media figure in modern American politics.

A Long-Running Rivalry Intensifies

In recent years, Mr. Kimmel has evolved from a traditional late-night host into one of Mr. Trump’s most vocal critics on television. What began as monologue jokes eventually escalated into pointed commentary on the former president’s behavior, language, and policies.

That dynamic was on full display this month when Mr. Trump, during an interview, derided Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as “the seriously governor,” prompting Mr. Kimmel to respond with a sharp segment questioning the former president’s mental acuity. When Mr. Trump was asked about his medical records — specifically, a long-rumored MRI — he insisted the test was unrelated to his brain and said he had “aced” a cognitive exam.

Mr. Kimmel seized on the comment, airing a clip of Mr. Trump dining at Mar-a-Lago and joking that the former president “looks fine to me,” moments after “his teeth fell into his omelet.” It was the sort of pointed political humor that has become a staple of the show — and a persistent irritant to Mr. Trump.

A Dark Election Night Monologue

The tensions deepened following the fictional 2024 presidential election, in which Mr. Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris. In a monologue aired the next evening, Mr. Kimmel appeared visibly shaken, calling it “the worst Taco Tuesday of my life” and describing the outcome as a “terrible night for women, for children, for immigrants, for science, for justice, for free speech, for seniors, for Ukraine, for NATO, for truth and democracy.”

The unusually somber tone quickly circulated online, with supporters calling it a rare moment of raw honesty and critics accusing him of partisanship. Whether one saw it as political commentary or emotional overreach, the segment marked a turning point. As one media analyst noted, “Kimmel went from joking about Trump to openly grieving his return to power.”

A Crisis Over Free Speech

The conflict escalated dramatically in September 2025. During a monologue referencing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and using remarks that some conservatives interpreted as insensitive, Mr. Kimmel became the target of a sweeping criticism campaign. Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission at the time, called the comments “the sickest conduct possible” and issued what appeared to be an implicit threat toward ABC, Kimmel’s network.

Within 24 hours, large broadcast groups including Nexstar and Sinclair pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live from their affiliate stations. Disney, ABC’s parent company, soon suspended Mr. Kimmel pending internal review.

The move was celebrated by Mr. Trump, who wrote on social media that ABC had “finally found the courage to do what had to be done.” He urged NBC to fire Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon as well.

Public Backlash and an Uncertain Future

But the suspension proved to be a miscalculation for Disney. More than 400 entertainers, writers, and public figures signed an open letter organized by the ACLU condemning what they described as political interference in broadcast media. Disney+ saw a wave of subscription cancellations, and analysts estimated the company lost more than $5 billion in market value in the days following the decision.

Meanwhile, the monologue that sparked the controversy amassed more than 26 million views across social media platforms within a single day — a surge that transformed the suspension into a national debate over censorship, satire, and the boundaries of political criticism.

Whether the friction between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kimmel ultimately reshapes the future of late-night television remains to be seen. But one reality is now clear: what began as a late-night joke has evolved into a defining cultural showdown between a former president and the comedian who has become one of his most persistent — and effective — critics.