Jimmy Kimmel is apparently treating his ongoing Donald Trump feud like free marketing. The late-night host openly joked that the president’s repeated attacks against him have actually helped boost ratings for ABC.
Kimmel took the opportunity to poke fun at the situation while appearing at ABC’s annual upfront presentation, where networks pitch their upcoming programming to advertisers and brag about audience numbers.
Jimmy Kimmel gives credit to Donald Trump for ABC ratings boost amid feud
“Yes, the president has tried to get me twice over the last six months,” Kimmel joked during the presentation, according to RadarOnline.com.
But the comedian clearly wasn’t complaining. “That’s one way to look at it,” he continued. “Another way, you can also say I’ve generated unparalleled engagement across a variety of platforms.”
Kimmel then claimed the attention surrounding the public feud had translated into a noticeable ratings jump for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“Largely thanks to our partners in Washington, we are up 25%,” he said. “It’s a good deal to have the numbers go up nowadays.”
The latest round in the Kimmel-versus-Trump saga comes after the comedian sparked backlash over a joke involving Melania Trump. During a recent monologue, Kimmel quipped that the first lady had “a glow like an expectant widow.”
The joke immediately triggered outrage from both Melania and Donald Trump online.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” Melania wrote on X afterward. She also accused the host of spreading “hate” into American homes nightly and called on ABC to take action.
Trump later piled on himself, demanding Kimmel be fired “immediately” and describing the joke as “far beyond the pale.”
Still, despite Kimmel publicly laughing off the controversy now, reports suggest the tension behind the scenes at ABC may be a little more complicated.
RadarOnline.com claimed network executives remain nervous about backlash tied to Kimmel’s political comedy, especially after previous controversies reportedly upset affiliate stations and advertisers.
Kimmel’s current ABC contract reportedly runs through 2027, though insiders told the outlet some executives no longer view him as the “smart risk” he once was.
TELL US — DO YOU THINK JIMMY KIMMEL’S FEUD WITH DONALD TRUMP HELPS OR HURTS HIS SHOW?