The public dispute between Donald Trump, former president of the United States, and Jimmy Kimmel, one of the most influential hosts of American late-night television, experienced a new and explosive chapter. On this occasion, the comedian responded with irony, forcefulness and a phrase that quickly went viral: “Shut up, piggy”, a direct return to the insults that the Republican has repeatedly launched against journalists and critical communicators.
It all started when Trump, from his social network Truth Social, lashed out again against Kimmel. In a message full of disqualifications, the former president questioned the permanence of the program Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC: “Why does ABC Fake News keeps Jimmy Kimmel on the air, a man with no talent and a very low rating? Why do the broadcasting networks still tolerate him? Besides, his coverage is totally biased, get that bum off the air!!!”.
Trump, who has historically maintained an open confrontation with the critical press, once again employed his aggressive style, similar to what other leaders have replicated internationally, such as Argentina’s Javier Milei, who adopted discursive strategies of direct confrontation with journalists.
Kimmel responded from his live monologue, with the biting and ironic tone that characterizes his style. On the accusations of low ratings, he launched a forceful retort: “He keeps saying that we have bad ratings, and the truth is that you should listen to him, because if anyone knows about low ratings, it’s him!”.
The host recalled that Trump had already pushed for him to be fired months ago: “You already tried to have me fired in September, but that didn’t work, Mr. President. I admire your tenacity.”
Finally, he launched the phrase that ignited the social networks: “If I may borrow a phrase of yours: shut up, piggy”.
The phrase used by Kimmel was not improvised. It refers to an occasion when Trump, during a dialogue with journalists on the presidential plane, insulted Catherine Lucey, a Bloomberg reporter, that way after she asked him why he refused to publish documents related to the investigation of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His response was, “Shut up. Shut up, you little piggy.”
The event marked one of the most tense moments between Trump and the press, considered an openly violent act towards journalism.
The context of the war between Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump.
Kimmel returned to his show in September after The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, temporarily suspended the show’s broadcast. The decision came after the host mentioned in his monologue an alleged link between the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the MAGA movement, politically aligned with Trump.
His return was marked by a forceful speech on the importance of freedom of expression: “This program is not important. What is important is that we live in a country that allows us to have a program like this”.
The comedian accused the Trump administration of trying to restrict critical media: “They tried to force the affiliates that broadcast our show to take it off the air. That’s not legal. That’s not American. That’s un-American.”
He also expressed solidarity with CBS anchor Stephen Colbert, who faced similar pressures from the Executive.
The confrontation between Trump and Kimmel is more than a cross between insults: it exposes an ideological battle between political power and the media, in a context where freedom of expression, public criticism and the legitimacy of journalism are at the center of the debate.
And as Trump continues to lash out, Jimmy Kimmel makes it clear that he has no intention of silencing his voice. On the contrary: he’s willing to stand his ground with humor, irony and, when necessary, a mirror reflecting his critics’ own language.
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