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President Donald Trump has once again turned his attention to late-night television. He is now targeting Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, just days after The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was unexpectedly cancelled by CBS.
Posting on Truth Social on July 22, Trump wrote, "The word is, and it's a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone." He criticized the hosts, saying they had "absolutely NO TALENT" and were paid millions for "destroying what used to be GREAT Television."
He also suggested he may have influenced Colbert's cancellation, adding, "It's really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!"
Colbert's show was cancelled on July 17, despite being a top-rated late-night program. The decision came just days after Colbert called out Paramount, CBS's parent company, for what he claimed was an effort to appease Trump. He accused them of offering money toward Trump's future presidential library and settling a lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris to help push through a merger with Skydance Media, a deal that needs the administration's approval.
The network, however, denied any political motivation. In a statement, CBS said the cancellation was purely a financial decision and that it wasn't related to the show's performance or content.
In the days following the cancellation, Kimmel and Fallon stood by Colbert. On July 21, the two appeared alongside other late-night hosts like Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, and John Oliver in a sketch supporting Colbert during one of his final episodes.
While on vacation, Kimmel posted a photo of himself and his family attending an anti-Trump protest. The photo showed the family wearing matching shirts and holding signs critical of the president, a subtle yet clear response to Trump's remarks.
Fallon has not directly addressed Trump's comments but continues to be grouped with Kimmel in the president's ongoing attacks on late-night personalities.
