Jimmy Kimmel returned to late night with Donald Trump squarely in his sights. His comeback monologue also landed amid reports that Jimmy Kimmel Live could end next year.
Kimmel had spent the summer away from the desk, leaving guest hosts to keep the show moving. His return marked the program’s 4,000th episode and gave him plenty of material.
Jimmy Kimmel compares his summer break with Donald Trump’s in his return monologue
Kimmel opened Tuesday’s show by comparing his vacation with Trump’s summer. “Donald Trump and I have one thing in common,” he said. “We both accomplished nothing all summer long.” He recalled leaving in June while the country faced several problems. “We were at war with Iran at that time. Gas prices were high at that time. Inflation was high,” Kimmel said. He then brought Mitch McConnell into the joke, saying he was “either alive or dead.”
Kimmel also mocked the green mess in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. He sarcastically credited “DJ Jazzy Donald” with solving everything during the break. Then came the algae punchline. “How are we supposed to win the war with Iran when we can’t even win the war against algae?” he asked.
The comedian also took aim at Trump’s appearance. “I don’t know if you saw this, but the leaves are changing colors and so is the president’s head,” Kimmel joked. He wondered whether someone could have a midlife crisis at 80.
The jokes arrived during an uncertain moment for Kimmel’s own show. Page Six initially reported that Jimmy Kimmel Live could end after its upcoming season, potentially concluding its ABC run in 2027. ABC quickly pushed back. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, the network called the report “inaccurate” and said reports about the show’s future were “purely speculative.”
Kimmel also revisited his own recent controversy, referencing his earlier suspension following comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. “We’ve done 4,000 of these, which is, it’s a lot of shows,” Kimmel said. “According to the White House, it’s too many shows.”
After months away, Kimmel returned to political jokes, making Trump a central target of his comeback monologue.
