Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has made it clear he's no fan of former President Donald Trump with years' worth of monologues and skits on ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” But the comedian recently said he has faced consequences.
.jpg)
On the newest episode of Stitcher's “Naked Lunch” podcast, Kimmel spoke to hosts David Wild and Phil Rosenthal about his views on President No. 45, and bringing those opinions to his late-night show.
“Does ABC ever say to you, ‘Hey, could you not just attack this side and lay off a little bit because we’re gonna lose those people?’” asked Rosenthal.
“Like right around the beginning of this whole like Trump thing... that was kind of hinted at,” Kimmel said. “But I just said, 'Listen, I get it. I mean, I don’t disagree.’”
Kimmel said that he “lost half of my fan [base], maybe more than that,” due to his coverage of Trump and recalled that he was “the most popular talk show host” among Republican viewers before the former “Apprentice” star took office. He said he knew where ABC's concerns were coming from, but he stood his ground.
“I just said, 'Listen, if that's what you want to do, I understand and I don't begrudge you for it, but I'm not going to do that,'” he told the podcast hosts. “'So, you know, if you want someone else to host the show, then that's fine. That's OK with me. I’m just not going to do it like that.’”
Kimmel said the network accepted his terms, adding, “They knew I was serious.”
Representatives for ABC did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times' request for comment.
Rosenthal lauded Kimmel, and fellow late-night personalities Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, for doing “public service” for being the “guys who make us feel like we’re not alone.”