Jimmy Kimmel and Ana Navarro Unite in Fiery On-Air Assault on Trump, Sparking White House Rage and Viral Uproar

By Sarah Ellison The New York Times November 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — In a rare crossover of late-night satire and daytime talk, Jimmy Kimmel and Ana Navarro of ABC’s “The View” delivered a synchronized takedown of President Trump on Thursday, with Navarro’s blistering monologue on government censorship dovetailing into Kimmel’s savage roast of the president’s FCC threats — a brutal comedy duo that left studios roaring and prompted a midnight meltdown from Mr. Trump demanding Kimmel’s immediate firing.

The tag-team assault, rooted in the Trump administration’s September pressure campaign against broadcasters, unfolded across ABC’s airwaves like a scripted revolt. Ms. Navarro, the Republican-turned-critic co-host of “The View,” opened the daytime show with a 10-minute segment excoriating FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s warnings to ABC affiliates over Kimmel’s monologue on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “The government itself is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence,” Ms. Navarro said, her voice rising with the fire of her Nicaraguan exile roots. “This is what dictators do — they come for the big platforms first, then everyone else. Trump’s FCC isn’t regulating airwaves; it’s choking free speech.” The New York studio audience erupted in applause, many on their feet chanting “No one silences us!” — a line Ms. Navarro borrowed from Whoopi Goldberg’s on-air declaration during the same broadcast.

Hours later, Mr. Kimmel picked up the baton on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” weaving Ms. Navarro’s words into his 11-minute opener. “Ana Navarro nailed it today on ‘The View’ — this isn’t comedy; it’s coercion,” he said, replaying her clip before pivoting to Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post from earlier that week, renewing calls to yank Kimmel off air. “Why does ABC keep Jimmy Kimmel on? Because I’m funny, and you’re not — but keep trying, Don. Your tweets are like your golf swing: full of whiffs and full of fury.” The Los Angeles crowd detonated, a wave of laughter and cheers spilling into the aisles as confetti cannons fired prematurely, extending the ovation for nearly 45 seconds.

Mr. Kimmel escalated with a montage of Mr. Trump’s FCC threats, intercut with Carr’s September podcast appearance on “The Benny Show,” where the chairman vowed “regulatory consequences” for Kimmel’s Kirk remarks — a monologue linking the activist’s death to MAGA extremism that prompted affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair to suspend the show for a week. “Trump’s FCC isn’t protecting the airwaves; it’s polluting them with payback,” Kimmel quipped. “First they came for Charlie Kirk’s killer, and I said nothing. Then they came for my show, and Trump said, ‘You’re fired!’ — but guess what? I’m still here, and your ratings are circling the drain like Epstein’s little black book.” The audience lost it, chanting “Epstein! Epstein!” as the host borrowed Ms. Navarro’s dictator line: “No one silences us — not even a snowflake with a Truth Social account.”

The synchronized strike, previewed by Ms. Navarro’s shoutout to Kimmel on “The View” (“Jimmy, we’ve got your back — no one silences us”), has shattered viewership records: Combined audiences topped 9 million, with the Kimmel clip alone racking up 48 million views across platforms by Sunday morning. #NoOneSilencesUs trended worldwide with 11.2 million posts on X, spawning TikTok duets where users lip-synced Navarro’s “bully and scare” line over Kimmel’s Trump impressions, amassing 30 million views. Comedian Sarah Silverman stitched a reaction: “Ana and Jimmy just Navarro’d the FCC — Trump’s meltdown incoming, pass the popcorn.”

Mr. Trump’s response was nuclear. At Mar-a-Lago, where he was hosting a donor brunch, aides described a “total meltdown.” Three people familiar with the gathering, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the president, alerted mid-meal by a barrage of notifications, demanded both segments streamed on adjacent screens. As Kimmel’s “snowflake” jab landed, Mr. Trump reportedly hurled his napkin, bellowing: “Navarro’s a RINO disgrace, Kimmel’s a clown — ABC’s done! Call Brendan; yank their licenses!” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, monitoring from D.C., texted allies accusing the duo of “coordinated smears with House Dems,” while communications director Steven Cheung drafted a multi-post rebuttal.

By 1:03 a.m., Mr. Trump unleashed a 450-word Truth Social tirade: “Crooked Jimmy Kimmel teams up with RINO traitor Ana Navarro — a total disaster from The View flop — to attack ME over FCC doing its JOB! Low-rated losers spreading Fake News. Get them OFF AIR NOW — ABC is DISGRACE! #MAGA.” The post, viewed 14 million times by midday, drew cheers from MAGA diehards but rebukes from moderates; even Fox’s Kayleigh McEnany called it “punching down at women who speak truth.” FCC Chairman Carr, fielding a 20-minute call from Mr. Trump at 1:20 a.m., assured “ongoing bias reviews” but urged caution amid midterm anxieties.

The viral fallout has deepened GOP fissures. On X, #NoOneSilencesUs hit 12.5 million posts, with influencers like Jack Posobiec decrying it as “Kimmel-Navarro psyop,” posting edited clips framing Ms. Navarro as a “deep-state RINO.” Steve Bannon thundered on his podcast: “This is war on free speech warriors — Navarro’s a sellout, Kimmel’s next!” Yet Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, no stranger to Navarro clashes, tweeted: “Ana’s right about dictators — but Trump’s fighting the real deep state. Mixed bag.” A Cygnal poll released Friday shows Mr. Trump’s approval at 38 percent — a low — with independents citing “attacks on free speech” as a top concern.

Democrats seized the synergy. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries quipped on MSNBC: “Kimmel and Navarro just FCC’d the administration — Trump’s meltdown? Priceless theater.” Late-night peers piled on: Stephen Colbert staged a mock “View from Mar-a-Lago” skit with Navarro as the uninvited guest, while Seth Meyers deadpanned: “Trump calls for firings? Says the guy who fired everyone on ‘The Apprentice’ — now he wants to apprentice the FCC.”

For Ms. Navarro, the Nicaraguan-born co-host whose exile fueled her anti-authoritarian fire, the moment cements her as a bridge-burner in GOP exile. “I’m a Republican who loves this country — and hates bullies,” she told TMZ post-broadcast. Mr. Kimmel, whose contract expires in May, shrugged in a post-credits clip: “If teaming up against censorship is a crime, guilty. Ana, you’re welcome anytime — bring the View crew.”

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, the duo’s takedown transcended TV: a reminder that laughter, laced with Navarro’s exile grit, can shatter silence. As clips flood feeds and Mar-a-Lago fumes, the chant endures: No one silences us.