Trump Demands Kimmel’s Firing After Late-Night Host’s ‘Quiet, Piggy’ Retort Goes Viral, Amplifying Feud

LOS ANGELES — President Trump called for Jimmy Kimmel’s dismissal from ABC for the second time in three months late Wednesday, railing against the comedian’s monologue that mocked the president’s recent “Quiet, piggy!” outburst at a female reporter — a savage comeback that has exploded across social media, drawing millions of views and reigniting a Hollywood-style humiliation that threatens to overshadow Mr. Trump’s push for broadcast reforms.

Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post, timestamped 12:49 a.m. Eastern time — just 11 minutes after “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” concluded on the East Coast — accused the host of “totally biased coverage” and “NO TALENT,” tagging Disney CEO Bob Iger and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee. “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?” Mr. Trump wrote. “Get the bum off the air!!!” The plea echoed his September demand, which contributed to a weeklong suspension of the show amid pressure from affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair, and scrutiny from Mr. Carr’s FCC over Mr. Kimmel’s comments linking a conservative activist’s death to MAGA rhetoric.

Mr. Kimmel, 58, whose contract expires in May, addressed the attack head-on in Thursday’s monologue, feigning casual surprise at the timing. “I woke up this morning, I’m in bed. My wife comes out of the bathroom — she’s got her phone. She goes, ‘Um, Trump tweeted you should be fired again.’ I was like, ‘Oh.’ And then I went downstairs and made bagels for the kids,” he said, eliciting immediate laughter from the Los Angeles audience. The host, who has clashed with Mr. Trump since the 2016 campaign, shrugged off the repetition: “I have honestly lost count now of how many times the president has demanded I be pulled off the air. Talk about a snowflake, this guy. Every five weeks, he flips out and wants me fired.”

The segment, which drew 4.2 million viewers — its highest Thursday rating in months — wove in Mr. Kimmel’s signature blend of sarcasm and sharp critique, replaying clips of Mr. Trump’s testy exchange with Bloomberg News correspondent Catherine Lucey aboard Air Force One last Friday. When Ms. Lucey pressed the president on his ties to Epstein amid the files’ impending release, Mr. Trump snapped, “Quiet, piggy!” — a remark that has drawn widespread condemnation for its condescension. “It’s also sweet that, even in the middle of the biggest sex scandal in the history of the American presidency, he takes precious time on the toilet to post about our show,” Mr. Kimmel quipped, alluding to the early-morning timing of Mr. Trump’s post. He then flashed a graphic charting Mr. Trump’s dipping approval ratings, per a Quinnipiac poll showing 39 percent — a second-term low — before delivering the viral zinger: “Mr. President, I admire your tenacity. If you’re watching tonight, which I presume you are, how about this: I’ll go when you go, OK? We’ll be a team. Let’s ride off into the sunset together like Butch Cassidy and the Suntan Kid. And until then, if I may borrow a phrase from you: Quiet, piggy.”

The studio erupted in cheers, with audience members on their feet as confetti cannons fired — a spontaneous production flourish that extended the ovation for nearly 30 seconds. The “Quiet, piggy” retort, a direct echo of Mr. Trump’s own words, has since amassed over 45 million views across platforms, trending worldwide under #QuietPiggy with TikTok duets lip-syncing the line over clips of the president’s scowl. Comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted: “Kimmel just turned Trump’s pig slop into prime-time gold. I’ll go when you go? Iconic.”

At Mar-a-Lago, where Mr. Trump was hosting a post-Thanksgiving donor brunch, the reaction was one of contained fury. Two people familiar with the gathering, speaking on condition of anonymity, described aides monitoring the broadcast on a side screen; when the “Suntan Kid” jab landed — a nod to Mr. Trump’s signature complexion — the president paused mid-conversation, his face reddening, before muttering to an adviser, “That clown thinks he’s funny? Tell ABC they’re done.” By early afternoon, Mr. Trump had amplified the feud on Truth Social, reposting supporter memes of Mr. Kimmel as a “deep-state puppet” and renewing threats against the network’s broadcast license. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during Friday’s briefing, dismissed the exchange as “Hollywood irrelevance,” but insiders say the president views Mr. Kimmel as a personal affront, watching episodes religiously despite public denials.

The dust-up highlights the precarious position of late-night comedy in Mr. Trump’s America. Mr. Kimmel’s show, buoyed by a 25 percent uptick in young adult ratings since January, has seen viewership surge amid anti-Trump segments. Yet the host’s future remains uncertain; ABC executives, navigating pressure from the FCC and affiliates wary of alienating conservative audiences, have yet to extend his deal beyond May. “Jimmy’s leverage is his audience, but Trump’s leverage is the government,” one network source said, speaking anonymously to discuss internal deliberations. Mr. Kimmel, in a post-show interview with TMZ, shrugged: “If they want me gone, fine. But until then, I’ve got a microphone — and he’s got a button. Guess which one scares me more?”

For Mr. Trump, the episode underscores a second-term vulnerability: a thin skin that amplifies minor slights into national spectacles, even as his administration grapples with the Epstein files’ December release and a government shutdown now in its 14th day. Allies like Representative Jim Jordan have floated legislation to “reform” broadcast indecency rules, but even they caution against overreach. “He’s punching down at a comedian while polls tank — not smart,” one House Republican said privately.

The “Quiet, piggy” clip, slowed for emphasis on TikTok and stitched into reaction videos by everyone from Gen Z influencers to Vietnam vets, has transcended late-night fodder into cultural shorthand for Mr. Trump’s combative style. Late-night peers piled on: Stephen Colbert’s band debuted a mock “piggy polka” during his opener, while Seth Meyers deadpanned: “Trump calls for Kimmel’s firing? That’s rich — the guy who fired everyone on ‘The Apprentice’ now wants HR involved.”

As the feud endures — a microcosm of broader cultural divides in an era where presidents tweet and hosts roast — Mr. Kimmel’s parting shot resonates: “I’ll go when you go.” In Washington’s pressure cooker, that sunset ride may arrive sooner than either imagines.