Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel launched a scathing monologue aimed at former President Donald Trump upon his return to television this week, seizing on the historically poor viewing figures for a presidential awards broadcast.
A Monologue Focused on Ratings Failure
Kimmel, back on air after a break, used the first Jimmy Kimmel Live! show of 2026 to highlight Trump's role in hosting the Kennedy Centre Honors. The comedian reminded his audience that Trump had previously boasted about his superior hosting skills and predicted huge audiences. The December 7 telecast, however, averaged a mere 3.01 million viewers according to Nielsen Live data, marking a 25% drop from 2024's already record-low audience of 4.1 million.
"You know he hosted an awards show over the break," Kimmel stated. "After all that talk about what a great host he is and how much better he is than I am and how huge his ratings would be, Trump hosted the lowest rated Kennedy Centre Honors telecast of all time." The host quipped about the White House fallout, joking, "Boy, I'd hate to be the intern who had to tear that headline out of all the papers and eat 'em."
Recalling a Presidential Promise
Kimmel pointedly referenced comments Trump made to reporters before the event, where the former president dismissed concerns and took a swipe at the late-night host. Trump had said, 'If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don't think I should be president.' Holding him to this, Kimmel declared, "You know, as I recall, he said he'd step down if this happened... Hey, a deal is a deal. Back to Mar-a-Lago you go."
The 2025 ceremony was historic as Trump became the first sitting president to host the event, which honours figures like that year's recipients George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, and Gloria Gaynor. His second term has seen a notable focus on the venue, which he renamed 'The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts' in December—a move that sparked backlash and performer boycotts.
Broader Context of Free Speech and Suspension
The monologue follows a period of tension between Kimmel and the Trump administration. Kimmel's show was controversially suspended last year after remarks he made concerning the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Trump publicly applauded the brief hiatus.
Just days before his return, while accepting a Critics Choice Award for Best Talk Show, Kimmel underscored the importance of free speech, thanking those who supported him and "reminded us that we do not take free speech for granted." He then turned his focus back to the President, sarcastically thanking "Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom we'd be going home empty-handed tonight."
The suspension in late 2025, enacted by ABC's parent company Disney after FCC warnings, ignited widespread debate about free expression in the US. Critics accused the White House of encroaching on press freedoms, especially after Trump suggested networks with negative coverage could lose their broadcast licences.
