It’s not often viewers hear Jimmy Kimmel crediting Donald Trump, but that’s what happened on Thursday night (December 4) when the late-night host thanked the President for being a “loyal viewer.”
During the opening monologue on Thursday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host referenced Google’s recently released top trends of 2025. Kimmel said he was surprised to learn he was “the third most trending person in the world” this past year.
“Now, I’m not sure if it’s an honor because No. 1 was a singer named D4vd, who spells his name with a 4 instead of an A [and] who is a suspect in a murder, which I guess got him bumped up,” the comedian added.
He continued, “No. 2 is Kendrick Lamar, who murdered Drake this year at halftime at the Super Bowl. And then it’s me, even though I haven’t been involved in any murders… Somehow, I finished ahead of the pope. Eat it, Leo! I beat Diddy! How did I beat Diddy this year?”
There was one person in particular Kimmel wanted to thank for helping him achieve this accolade. “I just want to say, none of this would ever have happened without the support of loyal viewers like President Trump, who has done so much this year to raise awareness of our show,” he stated. “Thank you, Mr. President, for making me No. 3 in the world.”
Kimmel made headlines earlier this year when ABC suspended him following remarks he made about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. His suspension was lifted less than a week later; however, in that time, Trump celebrated Kimmel’s removal from the air.
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Trump has continued to rant against Kimmel on social media, including late last month, when he took to Truth Social to demand that ABC “get the bum off the air.” He added, “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air? Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it?”
Kimmel noted the time-stamp of Trump’s post, saying on the following night’s broadcast how the President posted “11 minutes after the show ended on the East Coast. Which is nice… he watches us live. Hi, Mr. President! Thanks for watching us on TV instead of on YouTube. We appreciate that. It’s viewers like you who keep us on the air, ironically.”
You can watch Kimmel’s full opening monologue in the video above and let us know your thoughts below.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, ABC
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