Jimmy Kimmel Foresees Trump Lawsuit Against ABC Over Talk Show Remarks: Predicts Poor Ratings Drama

Jimmy Kimmel has quickly returned to his routine, diving right back into his comedic critiques of President Donald Trump.

On a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which saw a significant uptick in viewers for ABC, Kimmel humorously suggested that Trump might “try to sue” the network following his comments on the show, which were made “just after we finished taping.”

“There was a large audience last night. I received texts from countless people,” he shared during his opening monologue. “It made me realize just how many of my friends don’t watch the show regularly. Tomorrow, my phone will be quiet.”

Kimmel recounted, “I did hear from one very special friend,” referring to “the furious red hatter” after Trump once again criticized ABC in reaction to Kimmel’s remarks. “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Kimmel recited from a post on Truth Social.

“You can’t believe they gave me my job back? I can’t believe they gave you your job back! We’re even,” he responded, earning applause.

When an audience member voiced support, Kimmel jokingly said, “Shut the fuck up. Freedom of speech is mine alone. You do not interrupt the president.”

Kimmel dissected the post, especially Trump’s hint at legal action. “Only Donald Trump would try to prove he wasn’t threatening ABC by actually threatening them. It’s almost pitiful, the lengths his team goes to clean up after him,” he observed.

Addressing Trump’s assertion about ratings leading to his firing, Kimmel questioned, “Has anyone been fired for bad ratings on a Wednesday?”

“He knows a thing or two about bad ratings—he’s had some of the lowest ratings any president has ever seen. So, from all of us, welcome to the ‘Crappy Ratings Club’, Mr. President,” Kimmel continued. “Next, he’ll probably try to sue us. And I say, good luck with that. You see, we’ve thought ahead, we’ve packed the courts. And we have a secret weapon, Judge Steve Harvey. Survey says, you lose.”

“Honestly, facing Donald Trump in court is the last thing anyone wants. He’s at his most bombastic there,” Kimmel added.

Kimmel described Trump as “a classic bully from an 80s movie” as he made another point, “For those who think I’m too harsh on Donald Trump, to the extent that there are still many out there who believe I should be taken off the air for it. So, let me clarify, I talk about Trump mostly because he is a bully.”

Trump mentioned in his latest rant on Truth Social about Kimmel, “The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Somehow, between then and now, his audience disappeared and his ‘talent’ was never there. Why would they bring back someone who performs so poorly, isn’t funny, and risks the Network by promoting 99% positive Democrat TRASH. He is just another branch of the DNC and, as far as I know, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to check on ABC about this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they paid me $16 Million. This seems even more promising,” Trump added. “What a bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot with his bad ratings.”

Despite further complaints about poor ratings, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the airwaves on Tuesday after a brief hiatus, pulling in 6.26 million viewers. This is despite the fact that 23% of U.S. households could not watch due to preemptions by Nexstar and Sinclair.

Kimmel’s comeback followed ABC’s announcement that the show had been “preempted indefinitely,” a move that many criticized as a suppression of free speech, after the FCC issued a warning regarding the late-night host’s remarks about Charlie Kirk.

Known for his ‘Prove Me Wrong’ debates and MAGA perspective, Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10, an event that has reverberated through the political and media landscapes.

Having previously ridiculed Trump’s views on the NFL and TikTok, Kimmel bluntly commented on the aftermath of Kirk’s death during his September 15 show: “We witnessed some new lows this weekend with the MAGA crowd desperately trying to paint this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything but one of their own, all while trying to gain political advantage from it,” he stated.