David Letterman thinks Donald Trump shouldn’t be so shocked that he is a national punching bag.
“Irrespective of party or political ideology—if the leader of the free world is a fool, the leader of the free world, then, should expect and examine every bit of ridicule he receives,” Letterman told Jimmy Kimmel Tuesday night.
Though Letterman thinks Trump should be paying attention to the “ridicule” he receives, the My Next Guest Needs No Introduction host expressed his glee that Kimmel’s show hasn’t succumbed to his administration’s push to get his critics off the air. On Monday, it was reported that Kimmel’s ABC contract had been renewed for another year. “Another year is twisting those folks at Disney,” Letterman told Kimmel, “Good for you.”As for Letterman, he said he’s just fine with sitting out Trump’s administration. “No, I’m so glad to be out from under this mess, because people like you and people by like Stephen [Colbert] and people like Seth [Meyers] do such a masterful job of this, defending democracy.” He added, “Thank God for you, thank God for others, SNL, and everybody else. It’s just, I think it’s the way things need to be, in a democracy that’s seemingly this crippled.”
The late-night veteran’s comments come after months of Trump using his administration to threaten his late-night critics and call for their firings. Paramount, the company that was in the process of being acquired by Trump’s billionaire buddy, Skydance CEO David Ellison, announced that Stephen Colbert’s Late Show would end in May 2026, after he traded verbal blows with the president and called out the company for “bribing” Trump with its 60 Minutes settlement.
A few months later, when Kimmel’s on-air thoughts about MAGA’s reaction to conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk’s assassination drew him backlash from the right, Trump’s FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly threatened ABC if it didn’t reprimand the host, leading to the brief suspension of Kimmel’s show. The drama did little to weaken Kimmel’s relationship with the network, considering the company saw fit to extend his time on air.
Since then, Trump’s taken aim at Seth Meyers, whom he said should be “fired immediately” for criticizing his administration. Carr amplified Trump’s comments on social media, but so far Meyers remains behind his desk at NBC.
