Jimmy Kimmel Torches JD Vance’s ‘VP Maybelline’ Defense of FCC Pressure, as Viral Clapback Ignites MAGA Fury

By Sarah Ellison The New York Times November 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Vice President JD Vance’s attempt to downplay the Trump administration’s role in Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension from ABC stations backfired spectacularly this week, as the late-night host unleashed a withering on-air takedown that dubbed him “Vice President Maybelline” and mocked his claims about Kimmel’s “bad ratings” — a savage roast that has racked up over 50 million views, left the studio in hysterics and sent MAGA influencers into a frenzy of counterattacks and conspiracy theories.

The clash, rooted in a September 2025 FCC controversy, reignited Thursday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” where Mr. Kimmel devoted his 11-minute opener to Mr. Vance’s recent Fox News interview defending FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s threats against the network. Mr. Carr, a Trump appointee, had warned ABC of “regulatory consequences” over Mr. Kimmel’s monologue linking conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination to MAGA rhetoric, prompting affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair to preempt the show for a week. Mr. Vance, appearing on Laura Ingraham’s program last Tuesday, insisted the suspension was no government coercion: “Carr put out a couple of tweets… That does not constitute government action. To the extent that [Kimmel] is not back on the air, it’s because he’s not funny and has terrible ratings.”

Mr. Kimmel, leaning into the camera with his trademark deadpan, replayed the clip before firing back: “Vice President Maybelline was making the rounds, attempting to defend his boss and the chairman of the FCC with a new fairytale even a five-year-old wouldn’t believe.” The Los Angeles studio audience detonated, a wave of laughter and applause that built to a standing ovation as Mr. Kimmel continued: “My ratings aren’t very good? Last time I checked, your ratings were somewhere between a hair in your salad and chlamydia. In three and a half years, I’m not the one who’s going to be doing mascara tutorials on YouTube. How did we wind up with a president and a vice president who wear more makeup than Kylie Jenner and Lady Gaga combined?”

The “VP Maybelline” moniker — a nod to Mr. Vance’s polished appearance and perceived inauthenticity — landed like a thunderclap, with the crowd chanting “May-bell-ine!” as confetti cannons fired prematurely, extending the chaos into the aisles. Mr. Kimmel pressed on, flashing graphics of his show’s ratings surge — up 25 percent in young adults since January — juxtaposed with Mr. Vance’s 2024 Senate campaign clips, where the vice president struggled with unscripted moments. “JD, if my ratings are so bad, why’s your boss tweeting about me at 1 a.m.? Jealousy’s a tough look — especially under all that foundation.”

The segment drew 4.7 million viewers — a Thursday high — and has since exploded online, trending under #VPMaybelline with 9.2 million posts on X and TikTok duets lip-syncing the “mascara tutorials” line over Mr. Vance’s Fox interview, amassing 35 million views. Comedian Sarah Silverman stitched a reaction: “Kimmel just Maybellined the whole VP gig. JD’s face? Priceless — like he swallowed a concealer sponge.”

Mr. Vance’s response was swift and scorching. In a midday X thread Friday, the vice president fired back: “Crooked Jimmy Kimmel, ratings tanking, resorts to cheap makeup jokes because he can’t handle the truth: His anti-MAGA rants got him yanked from airwaves. Weak! ABC, dump the has-been — or face the FCC. #AmericaFirst.” The thread, viewed 6.8 million times, included a meme of Mr. Kimmel as a “deep-state diva” and tagged FCC Chairman Carr, renewing threats of regulatory action. Mr. Vance followed with a Fox News hit on “Hannity,” calling the roast “misogynistic desperation” — a pivot to Mr. Kimmel’s past jabs at conservative women — and insisting his ratings dig was “just facts.”

At the White House, where Mr. Trump was preparing for the G20 summit in Brazil, the fallout was immediate. Two aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the president watching the monologue on Air Force One, slamming his armrest at the “mascara” line: “Vance nailed it — Kimmel’s a loser! Tell Brendan to fine ABC into oblivion.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt amplified Mr. Vance’s thread during Friday’s briefing, accusing Mr. Kimmel of “coordinated smears with House Dems,” but insiders say the feud distracts from pressing crises like the 14-day government shutdown and Epstein files release.

The viral clapback has deepened MAGA fissures. On X, influencers like Jack Posobiec decried it as “Kimmel’s Maybelline psyop,” posting edited clips framing Mr. Vance as a “warrior,” but podcaster Steve Bannon blasted the VP on his show: “JD’s feuding with a clown? Focus on the deep state, not diva digs!” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, no stranger to Kimmel roasts, tweeted support for Mr. Vance but added: “Humor’s fair game — but ratings? Kimmel’s up 25 percent. Ouch.” A Cygnal poll released Friday shows Mr. Trump’s approval at 38 percent — a low — with independents mocking the “makeup meltdown” as emblematic of GOP pettiness.

Democrats pounced. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries quipped on MSNBC: “VP Maybelline? Kimmel just Maybellined the whole ticket. JD’s clapback? More contour than comeback.” Late-night peers piled on: Stephen Colbert staged a mock “Maybelline makeover” skit with Mr. Vance as the canvas, while Seth Meyers deadpanned: “Vance calls Kimmel unfunny? Says the guy whose book sold less than my grandma’s garage sale.”

For Mr. Vance, the Ohio senator turned vice president whose “childless cat ladies” gaffe still haunts him, the episode risks reinforcing perceptions of inauthenticity. Allies like Representative Jim Jordan defended him on Fox News, vowing “hearings on late-night bias,” but even they acknowledged the peril: “He’s exposing the hoax — Kimmel’s just noise.” Mr. Kimmel, whose contract expires in May, addressed the backlash in a post-credits clip: “If calling out hypocrisy is a crime, guilty. JD, mascara tutorial invite stands — bring your A-game.”

ABC executives, navigating FCC heat from Mr. Carr, issued no statement, but sources say they’re bracing for affiliate pushback akin to September’s suspension. In a polarized media age, Mr. Kimmel’s roast wasn’t mere entertainment — it was a mirror to power’s absurdities. As clips flood feeds and D.C. simmers, the question lingers: In Trump’s America, does laughter wound deeper than policy? For now, the studios roar on, while the concealer cracks.