Donald Trump's Appearance On Jimmy Kimmel During First Campaign Is Jarring To See Today

During his second stint in the White House, President Donald Trump has had several meltdowns directed at late night television. With such a fragile ego on display, it's almost enough to erase the memory of the times his appearances on late night TV possibly helped him get to where he is today. There was the disastrous time Trump hosted "Saturday Night Live," which many suggested softened his image and perhaps contributed to his clinching the 2016 presidential race. However, there was a December 2015 appearance Trump made that might have everyone doing a double take: Trump went on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and the two seemingly hit it off.

From discussing Tom Brady to inquiring about "Star Wars" to dunking on Trump's odd doctor, the two kept it light and fast-paced. Kimmel even busted out a children's book titled "Winners and Losers" that he claimed to have ghostwritten for the then-presidential candidate. In fact, Kimmel even got Trump to read the final line of the book. The late night host quipped the penultimate line of, "There are two kinds of people, which one will you be? A loser like them? Or a winner ... " Trump then took the book and proved his literacy by exclaiming, "like me."

While this moment was very chummy, it didn't last. Since Trump ascended to the highest office, Kimmel has become an ardent and outspoken critic of the president and his family — and Trump has certainly fired back.

Donald Trump's crusade against late night television began before his second term, but during 2025 it drastically ramped up. Considering how many times Trump has crashed out on ABC's reporting, it tracks that he would set his sights on the titular host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" as well. In September, following the untimely passing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump's Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Brendan Carr, threatened to pull ABC's license to broadcast. This saw Kimmel's show hit with an immediate suspension, though many pointed fingers at Trump.

Kimmel did return to his post, and immediately poked fun at Trump post-suspension. This continued the escalation of the beef between the two, with Trump's feud with Kimmel pointing to just how delicate his ego truly is. Things don't seem to be letting up any time soon, either. On November 19, Trump took to Truth Social to rant that Kimmel was "a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS." He then insisted he wanted Kimmel "off the air!!!" Kimmel responded on his own show the following night, dedicating his monologue to Trump's dogged determination to see him yanked from the airwaves. Kimmel indicated that Trump might be "feeling left out," as the president had recently been snubbed from Dick Cheney's funeral. Whatever the case may be, and it's most likely tied to Trump's tender ego, it seems that the two personalities are refusing to quit each other any time soon.