Late-Night Hosts Kimmel and Colbert Unite in Epstein Jabs, Prompting Trump’s Explosive Backlash at Mar-a-Lago

By James Poniewozik and Michael M. Grynbaum Washington — Nov. 29, 2025

President Donald J. Trump’s second term, already battered by congressional mandates to release Jeffrey Epstein’s long-sealed files, descended into fresh turmoil on Friday as late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert unleashed a synchronized barrage of mockery over the president’s past ties to the disgraced financier. In a rare crossover stunt that blended comedy with pointed critique, the two shows — “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS — aired back-to-back segments Thursday night, framing Mr. Trump’s reluctant signing of the disclosure bill as a cover-up of “dirty secrets.” Mr. Trump, monitoring from Mar-a-Lago, erupted in a midnight Truth Social tirade, labeling the hosts “degenerate clowns” and vowing FCC action, a meltdown that aides said left the Florida estate in “full crisis mode” as donors and allies scrambled to contain the fallout.

The coordinated assault, billed by producers as “Late Night vs. the Lid,” capitalized on the Epstein files’ Dec. 20 release deadline, a bipartisan congressional override of Mr. Trump’s veto threat last week. Mr. Kimmel opened his monologue from a Brooklyn set, waving a mock “photo lid” — the White House’s term for off-camera events — and quipping: “Trump signed the bill after issuing a photo lid, because he’ll sign anything off camera: executive orders, sneakers, lady parts, wall parts, a toddler. But Epstein files? Suddenly he’s camera-shy. That’s like the Pillsbury Doughboy avoiding nudity.” He pivoted to flight logs showing Mr. Trump’s seven Epstein jet trips in the 1990s, adding: “Make no mistake — this isn’t over. Congress passed it bigly, and soon we’ll know what Don knew, and how young they were.” The bit, punctuated by archival clips of Mr. Trump calling Epstein a “terrific guy” in 2002, drew 9.2 million viewers and trended under #EpsteinFilesNow.

Hours later, Mr. Colbert, taping in Midtown Manhattan, welcomed Mr. Kimmel as a guest for a seamless handoff. “Tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel — exposing autocrats one joke at a time,” Mr. Colbert said, donning a fake orange wig to reenact Mr. Trump’s Oval Office outburst at a Bloomberg reporter: “Quiet, piggy!” The duo tag-teamed the Epstein angle, with Mr. Colbert deadpanning: “One email says Trump ‘knew about the girls.’ See, this is why Hillary destroyed her server with a hammer — amateur hour.” Mr. Kimmel interjected: “He’s so upset, he couldn’t even nickname Marjorie Taylor Greene properly: ‘Wacky Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown.’ Green turns to brown when there’s rot — finally, a nickname that explains itself.” The segment, blending crosstalk with graphics of Epstein’s “Lolita Express” manifest, peaked at 7.8 million viewers and sparked 1.2 million X posts, many amplifying leaked file teasers hinting at Mar-a-Lago parties.

Mr. Trump’s response detonated at 12:07 a.m., a 500-word Truth Social fusillade viewed 30 million times by midday. “Kimmel and Colbert, two LOSERS with DYING SHOWS, spew LIES about me and Epstein — a total HOAX by the Radical Left! Their ‘comedy’ is DIRTY SECRETS of their own: low ratings, fake news, hatred for America. FCC, investigate NOW — cancel these degenerates before they ruin TV forever!” The post, illustrated with a meme of the hosts as Epstein co-conspirators, echoed his first-term rants but carried fresh venom amid the files’ shadow. At Mar-a-Lago, the eruption cascaded into chaos: Mr. Trump, pacing the gilded dining room during a donor dinner, reportedly smashed a crystal glass and ordered aides to summon FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for an emergency call. “He’s unhinged — screaming about ‘betrayal’ while golf scores flash on another screen,” one adviser recounted, speaking anonymously. By dawn, the White House communications team had drafted a 22-page complaint to ABC and CBS, citing “indecent defamation,” while Mr. Trump reposted supporter calls to #BoycottLateNight.

The late-night gambit, producers said, was born of shared scars: Mr. Colbert’s CBS show was axed in July over a skit mocking Mr. Trump’s border policies; Mr. Kimmel endured a September suspension for jokes about the Charlie Kirk assassination. Their October crossover in New York — a “Brooklyn Week” stunt where they swapped guest spots — had already netted Emmys and a 20 percent ratings bump, but Thursday’s Epstein focus sharpened the blade. “We’re not punching down; we’re punching up at power,” Mr. Colbert told staff post-taping, per a network source. Mr. Kimmel, in a pre-taped teaser, added: “I’ll go when you go, Don — quiet, piggy.”

The backlash rippled swiftly. FCC Chairman Carr, a Trump loyalist, announced a “preliminary review” of both networks for “obscene content,” prompting a joint statement from ABC and CBS: “Satire is protected speech — threats like this echo authoritarian playbooks.” Late-night allies amplified the defiance: Seth Meyers on NBC quipped, “Trump wants them canceled? He hosted ‘SNL’ — that’s like Epstein judging a youth camp.” David Letterman, in a CNBC cameo, called Mr. Trump an “autocrat in denial.” On Capitol Hill, Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., hailed the hosts as “whistleblowers with punch lines,” introducing a shield bill against FCC weaponization. Even some Republicans demurred: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., told reporters, “Comedy’s fair game, but investigations? That’s overreach.”

The Mar-a-Lago frenzy spilled into policy: Aides leaked that Mr. Trump, fuming over the files’ momentum, considered executive delays, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned of impeachment. Polling from a Democratic firm showed Mr. Trump’s approval dipping to 39 percent, with young viewers — late-night’s core — citing the monologues as a turnout driver for 2026. On X, #DirtySecrets trended with 3.5 million mentions, blending file excerpts with Colbert-Kimmel clips and memes of Mr. Trump fleeing paparazzi.

For the hosts, the exposure is vindication amid industry headwinds. Mr. Kimmel’s show, steady at 2.1 million viewers, saw a 30 percent spike; Mr. Colbert’s podcast, post-cancellation, hit 5 million downloads. “Late-night’s dying? Tell that to the meltdown,” Mr. Kimmel texted colleagues, per sources. Yet risks loom: Advertiser boycotts from MAGA groups like the Family Research Council threaten $10 million in revenue, and Carr’s probe could drag into midterms.

Historians frame the clash as a modern twist on presidential-media wars, from Nixon’s enemies list to Reagan’s charm offensive. “Trump built his brand on TV; now it’s his kryptonite,” said Kathryn Cramer Brownell, a Purdue media historian. “Kimmel and Colbert didn’t just expose secrets — they exposed the fragility of a thin-skinned autocrat.” As Mr. Trump golfed Friday, posting follow-ups like “FAKE COMEDIANS = FAKE NEWS!,” the airwaves pressed on. In a nation where laughs cut deepest, Mar-a-Lago’s meltdown may prove less a shutdown than a spotlight — illuminating “dirty secrets” no veto can dim.