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Jimmy Kimmel fires warning to 'ridiculous' Trump ahead of talk show return

Jimmy Kimmel arrives at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 2022. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
Ewan Gleadow
January 05, 2026

Jimmy Kimmel has issued a warning to Donald Trump ahead of his return to late night television.

The Live! host will be back on air from tonight (January 5), and picked up a Critics' Choice Award for Best Talk Show the day before. Using his speech to thank the president, Kimmel mocked Trump and says the administration had given his team a "banner couple of weeks" to break down.

Kimmel has been clear with his stance against Trump and has infuriated the president on more than one occasion. Trump had called for Kimmel's show to be axed in a furious rant on Truth Social, while Kimmel often suggests during his opening monologue that the president is watching live.

Speaking at the Critics' Choice Awards last night, Kimmel said, "And most of all, I want to thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom, we would be going home empty handed tonight."

"So thank you, Mr. President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day. It’s been a banner couple of weeks, and we can’t get wait to get back on the air tomorrow night to talk about them."

Kimmel will return to his late night talk show today. The host had used his final show of 2025 to talk of a "hard year" for the Live! programme, which was briefly suspended from September 17 to September 22.

The suspension followed threats from Donald Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to revoke ABC's license over Kimmel's material. Massive viewer outrage prompted the network to reinstate the show the following week.

Kimmel became visibly emotional during the monologue, telling viewers: "I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and not just for watching. This year, you literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough personally."

Kimmel said that part of what made the year difficult was the "many awful and destructive acts" occurring throughout the United States. He emphasized the importance of his show and similar programs in helping viewers cope.

"When I hear from people who tell me that they watch our show, and the shows that my friends and colleagues do on the other channels, and that it makes them feel less crazy, it makes me feel less crazy too," Kimmel said.

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