Zinger Key Points
- Jimmy Kimmel is locked in a war of words with Donald Trump.
- Kimmel is fighting back and thinks it's funny how bothered Trump got by a joke he made.
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to battle President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump is also battling many other critics, including a late-night talk show host.
What Happened: Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been critical of Trump in the past and used his show, which airs on Walt Disney Co DIS-owned ABC to poke fun at the former president.
While hosting the 96th Academy Awards on ABC, Kimmel took a shot at Trump, reading a post from the former president's Truth Social account. Kimmel later said that he was told not to read the post on stage.
As the battle between talk show host and 2024 presidential hopeful wages on, Kimmel shared feedback during a recent episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Donald Trump has said I'm not talented so many times Eric is starting to get jealous," Kimmel said.
The comments came after Trump addressed Kimmel during a Fox News interview, calling him a "lousy host" and "not a talented guy," according to Variety.
Kimmel said he's not surprised that Trump continues to talk about the Academy Awards and the talk show host.
"But what he doesn't realize is that I love this. I love that this bothered him so much, I love that Fox picked a news guy nobody knows to interview him, and I especially love when he tries to spin the fact that everyone was laughing at him into a positive."
Why It's Important: Kimmel said that his comment about Trump posting on Truth Social and watching the Academy Awards being past his jail time went viral and turned into a catchphrase on merchandise.
"Imagine him telling anyone they should've kept their mouth shut. That should be on his tombstone: ‘Should've kept his mouth shut,'" Kimmel said.
Kimmel has also been engaged in a war with NFL star Aaron Rodgers, which led to threats of lawsuits and could put Disney in a tough spot. Disney owns ABC and also owns ESPN, where Rodgers is a regular guest on a show and has been openly critical of Kimmel.
Trump has been critical of several media outlets and as he looks to do interviews and town halls in the future, he may give the cold shoulder to ABC or other Disney-owned properties.
Photos: Shutterstock
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