Jon Stewart “hates” that Donald Trump is feuding with “one of the best humans,” Jimmy Kimmel.
A fan asked Stewart whether he believes it’s possible for Trump and Kimmel to “end their feud” on the latest episode of his Weekly Show podcast. Kimmel’s contract with ABC was extended for another year on Monday, so he is poised to remain the president’s foe. Stewart weighed in on how he envisions it playing out on Thursday, praising his fellow late-night host.
“I just hate” that Kimmel is Trump’s favorite target, he said.
“Jimmy Kimmel might be the most generous, kindhearted individual that I have met in my entire life. He is someone—he doesn’t even sleep—in the middle of the night, he will just sit and Google ideas for what the best, thoughtful gift might be for you that he could send to you in a moment when you’re feeling low,” he continued, “Like that dude is all heart, like all of it. He is always a naturally generous, gregarious, warm individual that people are drawn to. And he is drawn to people. I wish I could be more like him.”
That said, Kimmel’s kindness makes him an excellent punching bag for the president, who Stewart said is the “antithesis” to everything he’d just said about Kimmel. “He brings them in, in, into an embrace in a manner. So if anybody could” make nice with Trump, Stewart explained, “it would be him.” Instead, however, “His family has been put through the ringer for no apparent reason.”
Kimmel’s show and staff were left in limbo over Trump’s vendetta against the host after Kimmel’s comments about MAGA’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death enraged conservatives and gave Trump a cause to urge ABC to boot Kimmel off the air.
Despite public threats from Trump’s administration and the network’s initial “indefinite” suspension, ABC ultimately brought Kimmel back on air in less than a week. “We weren’t fired, we were suspended, and I think suspended means come back, but it just didn’t feel like that to me at the time,” Kimmel said in November.
“If I’d not been allowed back on the air, I’d be a martyr. It’s not a terrible position to be in as a comedian,” he explained then, but “it’s not the position I wanted to be in. And it’s also not the way I wanted the show.”
While Kimmel is focused on putting on the best show, the president seems to be less focused on running the country and more focused on besting him as a host, stating this past Sunday that Kimmel was “horrible” at hosting the annual Kennedy Center Honors—an awards ceremony he’s never hosted before.
“If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent,” while hosting the awards show himself, “then I don’t think I should be president.”
Added Kimmel in his first monologue after the unprovoked verbal attack, “Agreed. I’m with you,” Kimmel replied. “I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anything more than that.” He added, “That is very hurtful. I thought we were friends. I don’t know what’s going on. He is really fixated. I’m starting to think he might have a crush on me.”
Kimmel joked that he’d be happy to have a talent show with the president. “As far as this ‘Who has more talent?’ thing goes, it seems like he’s challenging me to a contest, which, if so, I’m open to it. Let’s do it. Let’s have a talent competition. I’ll tell a few jokes. I’ll draw something. I’ll play my clarinet. He can play golf, spank a porn star, and ruin a country.”
Stewart called out Trump for the real-life consequences of his fragile ego on Thursday. “You’ve drawn fire on him and his family ‘cause he said s--t about you you didn’t like—tough s--t!” he said. “Donald Trump could say, ‘Everybody’s mean to me. And you’re like, ‘Because you’re the f---ing president and you have an army and nuclear weapons. It’s kind of part of the job.’”
