Late-Night Firestorm: Kimmel and Hanks Ignite Trump’s Fury, Sending Ripples to Mar-a-Lago

By James Poniewozik and Michael M. Grynbaum Washington — Nov. 26, 2025

WASHINGTON — What began as a star-studded segment on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” spiraled into a transcontinental spectacle of celebrity satire and presidential pique, with President Donald J. Trump erupting in a midnight Truth Social tirade and guests at Mar-a-Lago recoiling from the fallout. On Tuesday night, host Jimmy Kimmel and guest Tom Hanks delivered a blistering, on-air takedown of Mr. Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files — a moment that left the El Capitan studio audience roaring and the White House seething.

The monologue, aired at 11:35 p.m. Eastern, came on the heels of Mr. Trump’s reluctant signing of a bipartisan bill mandating the release of additional Epstein documents, a move critics had derided as too little, too late. Mr. Kimmel, no stranger to Trump jabs, escalated the evening by introducing Mr. Hanks, the two-time Oscar winner whose affable everyman persona belies a history of subtle political barbs. “Tom, you’ve played heroes from World War II to Apollo 13 — but facing Trump? That’s your toughest role yet,” Mr. Kimmel quipped, drawing cheers.

Mr. Hanks, promoting his latest film, a historical drama about government secrecy, leaned into the bit with relish. “Jimmy, I’ve read the files — or what’s left of them after the redactions,” he said, holding up a comically oversized black marker. “It’s like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: You never know if you’re getting a cover-up or just more nothing.” The audience erupted as Mr. Hanks scribbled over a mock document labeled “Epstein-Trump Correspondence,” revealing only question marks beneath. Mr. Kimmel piled on: “Don says he’s draining the swamp, but with these files, it’s more like he’s building a moat around Mar-a-Lago.”

The segment, clocking in at seven minutes, went viral within the hour, amassing 2.5 million views on YouTube by midnight. On X, clips spread like wildfire under #KimmelExposesTrump, with users praising the duo’s “surgical roast” and memes superimposing Mr. Hanks’s “Forrest Gump” bench onto Epstein’s island. One post from a prominent Democratic strategist read: “Hanks just Hanks’d Trump — polite, devastating, and impossible to unsee.”

Mr. Trump’s response was swift and scorching. At 12:49 a.m. — 11 minutes after the East Coast broadcast ended — he fired off a series of posts on Truth Social, his digital megaphone of choice. “Kimmel and Hanks, two washed-up Hollywood losers, spewing FAKE NEWS about Epstein! SAD! ABC should FIRE KIMMEL NOW — NO TALENT, BAD RATINGS! Hanks? More like Tom Pranks, fooling no one but his Botox doc!” He escalated, tagging FCC Chair Brendan Carr: “Why is this trash still on air? License time!” The outburst, viewed over 10 million times by dawn, reignited debates over media regulation in Mr. Trump’s second term.

The chaos cascaded to Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s gilded Florida retreat, where a private dinner for donors was underway. Attendees, including tech moguls and G.O.P. bundlers, watched the segment on their phones as it trended. “The room went silent — then the whispers started,” recounted one guest, a Florida real estate developer who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid reprisal. “People were checking their stocks, wondering if this tanks the vibe for 2026 fundraising.” By dessert, aides were fielding calls from rattled supporters, with one prominent donor texting: “Is this the new normal? Late-night hits turning into donor jitters?”

The episode underscores a broader cultural skirmish in Mr. Trump’s America, where entertainment and politics collide with increasing ferocity. Mr. Kimmel, whose show was briefly yanked nationwide in September amid FCC pressure over a monologue on conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death, has become a symbol of resistance. That suspension, orchestrated by affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair under Mr. Trump’s FCC allies, prompted an open letter from over 400 celebrities — including Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep and, notably, Mr. Hanks — decrying “government threats to free speech.” “This isn’t comedy; it’s courage,” Mr. Hanks said post-taping, in a green room aside to reporters. “When the files hide more than they reveal, someone’s got to shine the light — even if it’s just a desk lamp.”

Mr. Trump’s allergy to mockery is well-documented; his first term saw feuds with everyone from Alec Baldwin to “Saturday Night Live.” But this round feels amplified by the Epstein saga’s persistence. The bill Mr. Trump signed Monday, pushed by a bipartisan coalition including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, compels the Justice Department to declassify remaining documents by year’s end. Yet redactions persist, fueling speculation of elite protections — a narrative Mr. Kimmel and Mr. Hanks gleefully amplified. “It’s like ‘Cast Away,’ but instead of a volleyball, Don’s talking to his reflection in the mirror of denial,” Mr. Hanks deadpanned, eliciting howls from the crowd.

Backlash from the right was immediate. Fox News host Sean Hannity devoted his opening monologue to the “Hollywood hit job,” calling it “elitist gaslighting” and urging boycotts of Mr. Hanks’s film. On X, MAGA influencers amplified Mr. Trump’s posts, with one viral thread claiming the segment was “deep state scripted” to distract from border wins. Prediction markets on Polymarket pegged the odds of FCC action against ABC at 15 percent, up from 8 percent pre-show.

Democrats, meanwhile, reveled in the schadenfreude. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries retweeted a clip with: “When truth hurts, Trump tweets. Keep shining, Jimmy and Tom.” Media scholars see a pattern. “Late-night has always punched up, but under Trump 2.0, it’s a full-contact sport,” said Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker’s television critic. “Kimmel’s not just joking; he’s journaling the absurdities in real time.”

For Mr. Kimmel, the night ended with a defiant sign-off: “Mr. President, I’ll go when you go. Until then, quiet, piggy.” The studio erupted anew, a thunderous ovation that echoed into the Thanksgiving week. By Wednesday morning, ABC reported a 22 percent ratings bump, its best in months.

At Mar-a-Lago, the donor dinner limped to a close with forced toasts to “winning anyway.” One attendee, a hedge fund manager, summed up the mood: “We came for steaks and strategy; we got sides and shade.” As Mr. Trump golfed away the morning, the incident served as a microcosm of his presidency’s paradoxes — unassailable power shadowed by unscripted vulnerability. In an era where a monologue can mobilize millions and a tweet can tremor markets, the line between stage and state has never blurred so perilously.

Hollywood’s retort? Mr. Hanks, departing the studio, quipped to waiting fans: “Life is like a box of files — you open one, and the next is classified.” Laughter rippled down Hollywood Boulevard, a reminder that even in the age of outrage, wit remains a weapon.