Jimmy Kimmel says wife woke him up after Donald Trump called for his firing

Kimmel’s response focused on presenting the situation in a comedic tone, using the clip of his wife waking him up to introduce the segment
Jimmy Kimmel addressed the remarks directly during his monologue, drawing laughter from the audience (Screengrab/X/@latenightercom)
Jimmy Kimmel addressed the remarks directly during his monologue, drawing laughter from the audience (Screengrab/X/@latenightercom)

WASHINGTON, DC: Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said he woke up to his wife filming him early in the morning after President Donald Trump again called for him to be fired.

Kimmel shared the moment during his show, explaining that his wife was recording his reaction to Trump’s latest social media post. According to Kimmel, she informed him that Trump had publicly criticized him and urged the network to take action.

Jimmy Kimmel recounts early morning reaction on show

Describing the moment, Kimmel said he was confused at first when he woke up to find himself being filmed.



“This morning when I woke up, I woke up to my wife shooting video of me with her phone.”

“But it turns out she was shooting me to let me know the president gave me another shout-out today. What's up? Donald Trump wants you fired again. I haven't even been fired once.”

Kimmel said Trump called him “unfunny” and claimed he was presiding over one of the lowest-rated shows on television.

“How can I be fired again? He posted again. He's calling for you to be fired because you're unfunny and you're low-rated.”

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Aw
Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards (Getty Images)

He went on to describe reading the post after getting up, joking about sorting through multiple pillows and pairs of reading glasses before checking his phone.

Kimmel then read out Trump’s statement to his audience, which questioned why ABC had not yet fired him.

Trump's criticism becomes part of ongoing exchanges

In the post referenced by Kimmel, Trump reportedly referred to ABC as a “fake news network” and repeated his criticism of the host’s ratings and performance.



“And I grabbed one of the 25 pairs of reading glasses off my nightstand, and I see the following. When is ABC Fake News Network?”

“I appreciate it. If incompetently presiding over not just one of them but the lowest rating in history is the reason I should be fired, we should both be out of a job.”

Kimmel addressed the remarks directly during his monologue, drawing laughter from the audience as he questioned the logic behind being “fired again” when he had not been fired previously.

He also joked that if low ratings were grounds for dismissal, it could apply more broadly.

(Getty Images)
The exchange is part of a series of public back-and-forth moments between Kimmel and Trump (Getty Images)

The exchange is part of a series of public exchanges between Kimmel and Trump. The late-night host often comments on Trump in his monologues. In return, Trump sometimes criticizes him on social media.

Kimmel’s response aimed to present the situation humorously. He used a clip of his wife waking him up to introduce the segment. This story set the stage for his larger commentary on Trump’s post.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Law-enforcement sources said Griffin J John's shotgun had reportedly been legally purchased by his mother around his August birthday
2026-10-18T08:50:02.000Z
A man in his 30s was fatally shot on a Midtown subway platform by a gunman in a Deadpool-like outfit as terrified passengers fled
2026-10-18T08:07:39.000Z
Megan Lambert was among four people killed when a gunman opened fire in a special education classroom at the elementary school on Thursday
2026-10-18T05:32:09.000Z
Jason Miller interrupted Katie Zacharia’s Wall Street Journal interview, saying JD Vance wanted to speak with her before she left and never returned
2026-10-18T03:15:22.000Z
The rally took a different turn when an immigrant from Ghana voiced strong support for President Trump and his policies
2026-10-17T22:01:22.000Z
Laura Loomer’s relationship with Trump drew attention as she reportedly raised concerns directly with him about officials she viewed as disloyal
2026-10-17T21:30:09.000Z
The incident occurred as the Norte Fire tore through parts of southern Orange County after breaking out near San Clemente on Friday
2026-10-17T20:19:08.000Z
The mother's own experience had taught her how deeply a school shooting could affect a young person, even after the immediate danger had passed
2026-10-17T18:12:10.000Z
Katie Zacharia received her first ticket in Los Angeles County in June 2023 and was assigned a traffic school course
2026-10-17T09:01:12.000Z
Griffin John II had previously attended Silver Rail Elementary School, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said
2026-10-17T08:28:53.000Z