Jimmy Kimmel Claps Back at Trump’s Demand for His Firing: “I’ll Leave When You Do”

Former President Donald Trump recently launched another attack on late-night television hosts, prompting a humorous response from Jimmy Kimmel. During the opening of his show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC this Thursday, Kimmel addressed a late-night post from Trump on Truth Social. In his post timed at 12:49 a.m. ET, Trump questioned, “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?” and demanded the network to “Get the bum off the air!!!”

Kimmel, taking the remarks in stride during his morning routine, retorted by making light of Trump’s historically low approval ratings during his second term.

“He keeps mentioning our poor ratings,” Kimmel commented. “And he’s the expert on poor ratings – believe me, it’s him!”

Observing that Trump’s post came shortly after ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ ended on the East Coast, Kimmel expressed gratitude towards Trump for tuning in live and spoke directly to him.

“Remember your attempt to get me fired last September? It didn’t work,” Kimmel reminded. “Mr. President – your persistence is quite something.”

In September, ABC temporarily removed Kimmel from the air following a warning from Trump’s FCC chairman Brendan Carr about a joke Kimmel made regarding MAGA supporters’ reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which led to public outcry and Kimmel’s subsequent return.

“If you’re watching tonight – and I suspect you are – how about this: I’ll leave when you leave,” Kimmel proposed. “We can exit together like Butch Cassidy and the Suntan Kid. Until then – to use your own words… quiet, Piggy!”

The phrase “Quiet, piggy” dominated recent headlines after Trump used it to dismiss a Bloomberg reporter who questioned him about releasing the Epstein files. This incident was also a highlight of Kimmel’s monologue the previous Wednesday night, followed by Trump’s inflammatory post.

Regarding Kimmel’s future with the show, his contract concludes at the end of this season, and it remains unclear whether he will continue hosting beyond that.

You can view the entire monologue, titled “Quiet, Piggy!,” below: