Kimmel says Trump is a bully; explains dislike goes beyond politics

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said on his Wednesday monologue that his issues with President Donald Trump run deeper than policy disagreements, describing the president's behavior as the main driver of his frustration. 'I talk about Trump more than anything because he's a bully. I don't like bullies,' Kimmel said. He spoke as Trump has intensified public criticism of late-night hosts and as White House officials have challenged commentary they consider unfounded.

In the same segment, Kimmel offered a longer metaphor, likening Trump to an old-fashioned '80s-movie-style bully who would take lunch money and come back for more. 'Donald Trump is an old-fashioned '80s-movie-style bully, taking your lunch money — and if you give it to him once, he'll take it again,' he said. 'Two things he loves, lunch and money.' He described his lunch-box routine, reading a note from a mother aloud and other humiliation as part of the bully's playbook. 'This is Donald Trump,' he added. 'He does it to everyone.' He compared rooting for Trump to backing Biff Tannen in Back to the Future, noting that the character was the model for the president. 'This is who people are cheering for?' Kimmel asked. 'I don't know about you, I'm with Marty McFly.'

Trump has frequently attacked late-night hosts for jokes about him, and during his first term reportedly tried to have Kimmel censored. He attacked the hosts in campaign-trail rants last year and, in the summer, celebrated the notion that Stephen Colbert had been canceled and warned that the others would be next.

A day earlier, Trump threatened ABC over allowing Kimmel back on the air, amplifying the tension between the president and the network. The exchange underscores a broader, ongoing feud between the White House and late-night entertainment, a dynamic that has shaped political discourse in the United States over the past several years.

Observers say Kimmel's remarks reflect the widening divide between political leadership and a segment of the entertainment world that often serves as a counterweight to official messaging. The host did not announce policy alternatives or legislative implications; instead, he framed the president's conduct as a defining factor in the public’s perception of Trump. In doing so, he joined a chorus of comedians and pundits who have positioned late-night programming as a barometer for national sentiment during a contentious era in US politics.

The incident comes amid a long-running pattern in which late-night hosts push back against presidential rhetoric by inserting the president into cultural references and popular-film archetypes. While some viewers welcome a blunt, satirical critique, others argue that such exchanges contribute to polarization. Regardless, Kimmel’s monologue reinforces the role of late-night television as a space where political figures are scrutinized through narrative, metaphor, and humor, even as administrations push back against perceived bias.