Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel recently claimed that his ongoing battle with US President Donald Trump has cost ABC and its parent company, the Walt Disney Company, “billions”.
According to USA Today , in his annual no-holds-barred routine at the Disney Upfronts for advertisers on May 12, Kimmel mocked his financial impact on the company, referencing incidents like the September suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” by ABC. under pressure from the White House.
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Kimmel Says White House Battle Cost ABC ‘Billions’
Kimmel said Tuesday, “I cost our company a lot of money this year, billions. It’s very possible that no employee in the history of any company has cost their employer more than hiring me 24 years ago,” adding, “Just by pure math, I was the worst personnel decision the Disney Corporation ever made. Not even the captain of the Exxon Valdez did more damage.”
While he continued his stand-up routine, his companion Guillermo Rodriguez wandered among wealthy advertisers with a collection basket, looking for donations. Kimmel reportedly received $7 and a tennis ball.
Battle with the White House boosts Kimmel’s show ratings
However, despite costing the network “billions,” his highly publicized battle with the White House and the US president was reportedly for “Live!” assessment. Elaborating, Kimmel said, “We’ve got 25% more 18-to-49 viewers, largely because of our partners in Washington,” adding, “It’s a big deal that your numbers are going up these days. But if (legendary “Tonight Show” host) Johnny Carson woke up to my ratings, Drano would find all these scumbags out there.”
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Kimmel vs Trump: Here’s everything you need to know
In early April, the US president called on ABC to fire Kimmel over a joke that Trump said was “really shocking”. The development came after the late-night host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” staged a mock roast of the president on April 23. In addition to jokes about Jeffrey Epstein and gas, he quipped about first lady Melania Trump: “Mrs. Trump, you’re glowing like a widow-to-be.”
In his April 27 joke on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Kimmel’s “hateful and violent rhetoric is designed to divide our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy — his words are scathing and deepen the political sickness in America.”
Trump went on to call the joke a “despicable call to violence” and called for it to be removed from ABC. After Trump’s remarks, Kimmel defended himself, saying the joke was about their age difference. He added: “This was in no way a call for assassination – and they know it.”
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This is not the first time Trump has sought Kimmel’s dismissal. In September of last year, Kimmel’s show was pulled by ABC after he suggested that the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk was connected to Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. While the company initially called the suspension indefinite, ABC returned it to the air in a week.
Upon his return, Kimmel acknowledged that his remarks were “badly timed,” but also said, “The government’s threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is un-American.”
Despite repeated political backlash and public criticism from the White House, Kimmel continued his jokes as part of his routine, frequently citing the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects fundamental freedoms related to speech and expression.
