Kimmel and White House Exchange Barbs Over Ratings

Jimmy Kimmel has responded to the White House’s critique of his TV ratings on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The dispute between Kimmel and President Trump’s administration intensified after Kimmel criticized the president following the midterm elections, urging him to resign. The White House described Kimmel’s ratings as “failing”, but recent Nielsen statistics contradict this claim. According to ABC, Jimmy Kimmel Live! concluded its last season with the largest audience in eight years.

Kimmel Responds to White House Attack

In a recent episode, Kimmel mocked Trump’s keynote address at the Kennedy Space Center for mispronouncing “genome” as “ganome”. Kimmel joked that many might not realize “genome” has a ‘g’. “They pronounce it ganome,” he laughed. Following the joke, he acknowledged the White House’s continued attacks on him by reading a statement from spokesperson Davis Ingle. It allegedly accused Kimmel of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and mocked his intelligence and ratings.

“Sick burn, bro,” Kimmel quipped in response, suggesting the spokesperson could excel in a rap battle.

Kimmel also remarked that “Trump now has interns insulting me”, likening the situation to a moment when a pet cat gets too lazy to pursue mice. He refuted the “peanut-sized brain” comment, saying, “I know you’re young. That’s impossible.”

What the Ratings Show

Recent audience data provide context for the White House’s portrayal of Kimmel’s ratings. For the 2025-2026 television season, Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 2 million viewers, marking its highest average in eight years per ABC’s Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings. Among adults 18 to 49, the show scored a 0.18 rating, placing it as the top late-night show and the strongest among this demographic in four years. The new season began with promising numbers. During the week of September 21, 2026, the show led late-night programs in both total viewers, at 2.29 million, and in the 18 to 49 demographic, with a 0.21 rating.

How the Feud Escalated

This verbal clash follows Kimmel’s earlier remarks post-midterm elections. In his November 4 monologue, he countered Trump’s assertion that Republicans would fare better with him on the ballot, saying, “You were on the ballot.” Kimmel claimed Trump had become an unavoidable part of America’s political scene. “You’re like dog hair; you’re on everything,” he quipped, before urging the president to step down. These remarks brought another backlash from Ingle, who labeled Kimmel a “no-talent loser” with declining ratings.

Kimmel fired back during his show, mocking the spokesperson’s name and questioning the timing of calling him a loser amid the election results. “The last thing I want to do is tell you how to do your job Danny Dingle, but today seems like a bad day for you to call me a loser,” he said.

Kimmel and Trump’s Long-Running Feud

This latest event adds to the ongoing rivalry between Kimmel and Trump, characterized by both using public domains to disparage each other. Kimmel has frequently addressed Trump’s presidency in his monologues. Trump has often criticized Kimmel’s show and performance, including a critique during Kimmel’s hosting of the 2024 Academy Awards. Kimmel responded to the criticism on stage, querying if it was past Trump’s “jail time”.