A late-night show host who is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump says canceling Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” feels like a glimpse into “his future.”
Jimmy Kimmel says President Donald Trump’s fight cost ABC ‘billions’
During the Disney Upfront, Jimmy Kimmel joked that his clash with President Donald Trump has cost ABC and the Walt Disney Corporation “billions.”
You don’t need a crystal ball to know that Jimmy Kimmel’s professional future is a little uncertain.
The outspoken late night host opened up about the recent cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” and his ongoing feud with President Donald Trump in an interview with Vulture magazine published on Monday, June 1.
Mr. Colbert’s talk show, along with the entire “Late Show” series on CBS, ended on May 21 after it was revealed that the television network had canceled the series last July, citing “financial decisions” made against the backdrop of “the difficult background of late night.”
The shocking firing came amid increased political scrutiny of Colbert, who had voiced criticism of CBS’ former parent company Paramount Global and its settlement agreement with President Donald Trump over the “60 Minutes” scandal.
“I feel like I lost a little bit of that,” Kimmel told Vulture after the final episode of “The Late Show.” Kimmel, 58, appeared during Colbert’s much-anticipated sendoff and reunited Strike Force Five with fellow late night hosts Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon to give Colbert advice and investigate the green portal that served as a metaphor for the end of “The Late Show.”
“In many ways, I feel like I’m looking into my own future,” Kimmel continued. Late-night TV “is not disappearing solely due to natural causes (low ratings, etc.). We are being poisoned.”
Kimmel’s comments came amid a recent feud with Trump that began with a joke on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The host made the remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, just days before the shooting.
In a segment of his show that aired on April 23, Kimmel gave a stand-in monologue for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in anticipation of the actual event, which did not feature a comedian as the headliner. “Mrs. Trump, you have the glow of a pregnant widow,” Kimmel quipped in his monologue.
Two days later, a gunman opened fire outside a dinner party the president and first lady were attending. A Secret Service agent was shot, but was protected by a bulletproof vest. Kimmel’s “pregnant widow” joke resurfaced after the shooting, sparking backlash on social media, with Kimmel’s critics accusing him of inciting political violence.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump weighed in on the controversial joke, calling on ABC to fire Kimmel for “hateful and violent statements.” The criticism comes seven months after Kimmel’s talk show was taken off the air following comments he made about the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel responded to the backlash on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The TV host agreed that “hateful and violent rhetoric should be rejected,” but encouraged Melania Trump to “talk to her husband” about the issue first.
“When I first got suspended, one of the things we talked about was if I was going to be micromanaged, I couldn’t be on this show,” Kimmel told Vulture. “Normally my inclination is to fight back. Donald Trump and I are not that different in that respect.”
Kimmel and ABC recently signed a one-year extension for his talk show, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to USA TODAY in December, meaning “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” It will remain in the network until May 2027.
Still, Kimmel acknowledged that the show’s future is uncertain due to its contentious relationship with the Trump administration.
“I had the truth on my side as a defense,” Kimmel said of previous disputes with Trump, adding jokingly, “What if he actually does something bad? I mean, it’s inevitable.”
“I have no idea what’s going to happen to me,” Kimmel said at the end of each talk show stint, but added, “What I want more than anything is freedom. I’m good at fishing, so I want to go fishing.”
“It’s important to me to be responsible,” Kimmel said. “I know it would be a blaze of glory and a lot of applause, but that would be a very selfish thing to do.”
Contributions: Brendan Morrow, James Powel, Taijuan Moorman, KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
