Jenna Bush Hager's Take On Jimmy Kimmel Accidentally Highlights A Major Trump Weakness

Jimmy Kimmel has been a name on everyone's lips this week after the sudden suspension of his late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" — after making controversial comments about Charlie Kirk's assassination — and his brief hiatus off air before being reintegrated on ABC. The event has since been deemed a suppression of the First Amendment and has had everyone pointing fingers at Donald Trump. Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and granddaughter of former President George H.W. Bush, knows firsthand what political satire can feel like when it is aimed at you, and her example of how the Bush family handled it is telling of the current first family.

"Dana Carvey played my grandpa on 'Saturday Night Live,'" Bush Hager shared on a September 24 episode of "Today with Jenna & Friends." "... and after [George H. W.] lost [the presidential race], which — my grandfather was devastated, he felt like he didn't finish the job. He felt like he let down his staff." Still, as the journalist recalled, George H. W. put his pride aside and invited Carvey to the White House to crack jokes as a way to lift his staff's spirits. "We laughed hysterically at some of it. And I think that's part of it, too, is that you can't take yourself so seriously."

That is one trait that many feel Trump lacks. Jason Selvig, a comedian from the political comedy duo, "The Good Liars," spoke about Trump's inability to handle satirical criticism. "I think he has very, very thin skin, and maybe that's why he wears so much makeup," Selvig quipped on MSNBC. "I mean, he cannot take a joke."

On September 17, 2025, ABC announced that they were booting Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves after he made controversial comments about Charlie Kirk's assassination during an episode of his show a couple of days prior. The news was preceded by a message from the major media company, Nexstar, which proclaimed that they would no longer be airing "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on their owned ABC-affiliated stations. The announcement rocked the nation — as many believed it was not even one of Kimmel's most controversial moments — subsequently catalyzing enough backlash for ABC to change its mind; Kimmel was back on air by Tuesday, September 23, a return that took aim at Donald Trump's fragile ego. Trump made his bruised pride even more evident on social media after Kimmel's first night back. 

"I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back," the Republican president wrote in a Truth Social post on September 23. "Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who's not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE." In his message, Trump even threatened to sue the network, inaccurately noting the $15 million settlement he was granted in a 2024 defamation lawsuit against ABC News. "I think we're going to test ABC out on this. Let's see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers!" he added.