The Moment
Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night host who’s spent years needling Donald Trump from behind a desk and a grin, just drew a new line. In a fresh, on-record interview published this week, Kimmel said he doesn’t hate Trump. Instead, he feels sorry for him.
His exact phrasing? “I don’t love him. I don’t hate him, either. I feel sorry for him. He obviously didn’t get hugged a lot.” The remark came during a broader chat about disagreeing with friends (he mentioned Adam Carolla) and whether fighting with people who won’t budge helps anything.
In the same conversation, Kimmel said ABC told him, “quite specifically,” that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is still making money, this shortly after another network’s late-night shake-up stirred fresh speculation about the format’s future.
The Take
I’ll say it: pity is hotter than rage in 2026. Kimmel swapping fire for a sigh feels like the celebrity version of moving from hot sauce to Tums. He’s not backing down from the comedy; he’s reframing the energy. In a media climate that treats every dust-up like a steel-cage match, “I don’t hate him” lands as both unexpected and, frankly, grown-up.
It also tracks with late-night’s survival instincts. Spite can juice a monologue, but audiences over 40, who remember when political jokes didn’t feel like emergency alerts, can smell burnout. Pity is distance. It says, “I’m not carrying this around all day.” And by separating personal animus from public critique, Kimmel telegraphs something savvy: criticize the behavior, keep your blood pressure.
The money note matters too. Viewers are weary of “Is late-night dying?” headlines every quarter. Kimmel pointing to profitability is a subtle flex and a reminder that while streaming eats everything in sight, a nightly blend of topical jokes and human moments still pays off when the host stays watchable to people who disagree with him.
Receipts
Confirmed:
- Kimmel said, on the record this week: “I don’t love him. I don’t hate him, either. I feel sorry for him. He obviously didn’t get hugged a lot.” (From a newly published interview, June 2026.)
- Kimmel also said ABC told him his show is still making money. (Same interview, June 2026.)
- Kimmel, hosting the 2024 Oscars, read a Trump post live on air. (2024 Oscars broadcast, ABC, March 10, 2024.)
Unverified/Reported:
- Reports claim Trump cheered a temporary “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” suspension, threatened to sue the network, and later urged the host’s firing. We have not independently reviewed the original posts or legal correspondence; treat as reported, not confirmed here. (Entertainment report, June 1, 2026.)
Backstory (for Casual Readers)
Kimmel and Trump’s push-pull is long-running. Kimmel’s monologues have lampooned Trump-era politics for years, and Trump has fired back on his personal social accounts. The back-and-forth briefly jumped from late night to prime time when Kimmel, hosting the 2024 Oscars, read a Trump post live on air. It’s the kind of loop we’ve come to expect: a joke becomes a post becomes a harder joke. What’s different now is Kimmel’s tone, less seething, more sighing.
What’s Next
Watch for how Kimmel threads this needle on-air. Expect a few monologue beats that turn “pity” into punchlines without ratcheting up the temperature. Also keep an eye on any official word from ABC about the show’s future; if the network is as bullish as Kimmel suggests, renewal chatter should sound confident. As for Trump, whether he responds is anyone’s guess, but if he does, it could test whether Kimmel’s softer framing holds.
Does a late-night host choosing pity over fury make the jokes land better, or do you prefer the old-school brawl?
Comments