President Donald Trump threw a fit on social media on Tuesday night as late night TV nemesis Jimmy Kimmel headed back to the airwaves.
He said Kimmel should “rot in his bad Ratings,” called his show a “major Illegal Campaign Contribution” to the Democratic National Committee and threatened legal action against the “true bunch of losers” at ABC.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website about an hour before Kimmel’s return to television. “The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!”
Despite Trump’s claim, Kimmel’s show was suspended ― not canceled ― over comments the host made about the suspect in the public assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
After facing intense public pressure in support of Kimmel, the company this week announced the show’s return.
Trump was livid.
“Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE,” he wrote. “He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution.”
Then, he threatened ABC with another lawsuit after settling with the network last year in a defamation case.
“I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,” Trump wrote. “This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
Trump also said Kimmel’s audience is “gone.”
Kimmel had 1.77 million viewers per night in the second quarter, behind “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert (2.42 million) and ahead of NBC’s Jimmy Fallon (1.19 million), according to Late Nighter, which noted that Kimmel is number one among late night hosts in the 18-49 demographic that advertisers value most.
Trump has had it out for late night shows for years and reportedly tried to have Kimmel censored during his first term.
Trump celebrated the announcement earlier this year that Colbert’s show had been canceled, and warned that others ― including Kimmel ― would be “next.”
Kimmel’s suspension came shortly after Trump’s hand-picked Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Brendan Carr, issued a not-so-veiled threat to ABC over the show.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”