Jimmy Kimmel came prepared with receipts for Thursday night's monologue amid President Donald Trump's ongoing calls for him to be fired from his ABC show. The late-night host highlighted a major Republican leader who seemed to support him and his right to free speech.
Kimmel's Response to Trump
"During the campaign for president, there was a man, a very prominent Republican man, who seemed to be against this idea of muzzling people you don't agree with," Kimmel said. He then played a supercut of Trump clips from the campaign trail over the past decade, showing Trump boasting about hating cancel culture and championing free speech.
"The goal of cancel culture is to make decent Americans live in fear of being fired," Trump said in one clip. Kimmel noted that Trump may not have had his adversaries in mind when making those remarks. "He did say decent Americans; I don't think I qualify," Kimmel joked. "I hate to say this, and I hope it doesn't get me in trouble. I'm starting to think Donald Trump might be a hypocrite."
Trump's Call for Firing
Trump on Thursday once again called for Kimmel to be fired following a joke the comedian made about first lady Melania Trump. "When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television? People are angry. It better be soon!!! President DJT," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
After Kimmel's joke, Trump's FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, ordered an early license review of all eight Disney-owned ABC-affiliated stations. Disney, ABC's parent company, has largely remained silent, with no indication it intends to fire Kimmel.
