Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel responded on his broadcast Monday to insults from Donald Trump, renewing his jokes about sparse attendance at recent campaign events after Trump called him a loser and crooked.
During a Saturday rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, Trump criticized Kimmel for joking about crowd turnout, according to TheWrap. Trump told attendees that Kimmel was a loser who falsely claimed an event was sparsely attended, insisting instead that arenas in states like Ohio or Texas had been packed to capacity and that thousands of supporters had been turned away.
Exchange on late-night broadcast
On Monday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Kimmel addressed the clip of Trump’s speech directly, expressing surprise that crowd size appeared to be the former president’s primary grievance after a week of sharply critical commentary.
“Of all the things I said about him last week, of all the many moronic and criminal words and deeds I detailed, that’s what bothers him?” Kimmel asked on the show, as reported by Rolling Stone. “Me pointing out the fact that his rallies have empty seats? Well, in that case, let’s do it again: There were many empty seats at the rally. So many empty seats.”
The program subsequently displayed photographs showing unoccupied seating at Trump events. Kimmel also poked fun at Trump’s explanation that upper-deck seats appeared bare because supporters simply migrated down toward the stage. The comedian questioned how audience members could casually relocate to premium spots during an event secured by the U.S. Secret Service, comparing the claim to fans attempting to move up uninvited at a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.
Kimmel added that the events were “not at full capacity,” which he compared to Trump’s mental sharpness, TheWrap reported.
A persistent war of words
The latest clash marks an extension of an ongoing public rivalry between the comedian and the former president, Rolling Stone reported. When Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards ceremony in 2024, he read a critical message from Trump aloud to the auditorium, quipping on live television whether it was past Trump’s jail time. Trump subsequently slammed Kimmel as a dope and described him as one of the least intelligent figures in public life.
Kimmel previously acknowledged in an interview with Rolling Stone that he intentionally provokes Trump, describing the politician as an unusual figure akin to a comic book character and remarking that he treats his program as a place to vent about news events.
Trump has frequently expressed frustration over news coverage regarding the size of his political audiences. According to TheWrap, Trump posted on Truth Social the previous week criticizing media reports concerning an Ohio arena event, arguing that thousands were turned away while media outlets claimed there were empty chairs. In that post, Trump argued that news organizations should face arrest for what he characterized as dishonest coverage of his turnouts.
A spokesperson for the White House did not provide a comment regarding the latest late-night monologue, TheWrap reported. It remains to be seen whether Trump will continue addressing Kimmel’s jokes in future campaign stops.
