President Trump has said many things about “Saturday Night Live” over the years. Few of them are favorable, highlighting his disdain for the late-night sketch comedy show, though his previous stints as host would suggest otherwise.
The president hosted the show in 2004 and in 2015, shortly after announcing his first run for president. The decision to have him host “SNL” in 2015 was controversial at the time, but NBC’s top brass defended the move, citing his front-runner status among Republicans and the high ratings it produced. “At the end of the day, he was on the show for 11 minutes and … it wasn’t like the Earth fell off its axis,” said then-NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt during the Television Critics Assn. press tour in 2016. He would later call Trump “toxic” and “demented.”
Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly said he believes the show is unfunny, lacks talent and is “just a political ad for the Dems” nowadays. The sentiment echoes comments he’s made about late-night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel and their respective shows, each known for skewering Trump. With Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” set to begin Saturday, and recent settlements with media outlets and tech companies making headlines — YouTube settled a Trump lawsuit for nearly $25 million Monday over the suspension of his account — a renewed focus will be on the show and how it spoofs the president and his policies.
Colbert’s series was canceled by CBS in July and will conclude its 10-year run next year in May. While CBS cited financial reasons for its decision to end Colbert’s show, the host was a vocal critic of both Trump and CBS’ parent company, Paramount, which had recently settled a lawsuit with Trump just before the Federal Communications Commission approved its merger with Skydance Media (Colbert called the settlement “a big fat bribe”).
Kimmel was benched by ABC in September after the head of the FCC, a Trump appointee, threatened the network over the host’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer. Kimmel has since returned to the air, and used his first episode back to defend free speech. Colbert and Kimmel also appeared as guests on each other’s shows Tuesday, expressing mutual support and cracking jokes at Trump’s expense. Trump has also called for NBC to ax its late-night hosts Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, both of whom are “SNL” alums.
Now, “SNL” could be the next target of the administration’s scrutiny. Trump’s posts on social media have previously aired his disapproval for how the series mocks and satirizes him and his administration, and he has suggested investigating NBC as result.
“Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC!,” Trump tweeted in February 2019, during his first term in office. “Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!”
Donald Trump in 2015, the year NBC cut ties after he made comments about undocumented Mexican immigrants.
(Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images)
Over the years, Trump has had a contentious relationship with the network that once aired “The Apprentice,” the show that made him a reality TV star, and his Miss Universe pageant. In 2015, NBC cut ties with Trump over comments he made about undocumented Mexican immigrants.
“Saturday Night Live,” which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year with multiple specials, has been churning out political parodies for decades, and its comedy has targeted leaders from all political backgrounds.
The first time Trump was portrayed on “SNL” was in 1988 by then-cast member Phil Hartman. Since then, a host of actors and cast members have cycled through with their Trump impressions, with one of the most memorable being Alec Baldwin, who took over from Darrell Hammond in 2016 ahead of the presidential election.
Trump disliked Baldwin’s portrayal, and wrote in 2018 that Baldwin’s “dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation.” Baldwin won an Emmy for supporting actor in 2017 for playing the president.
The “30 Rock” actor’s stint as Trump on “SNL” lasted through 2020, and he made appearances as Trump even when the show was filming remotely during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of his most memorable moments impersonating the president were in cold opens that mocked the debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Alec Baldwin in 2017 as President-elect Donald J. Trump during a “Saturday Night Live” cold open sketch.
(Will Heath / NBC)
In March 2019, Trump wrote that “SNL” continues “knocking the same person (me), over & over, without so much of a mention of ‘the other side.’” The episode that aired the weekend he wrote that tweet was a rerun. “Like an advertisement without consequences,” he went on.
According to reports from the Daily Beast, Trump took a step beyond airing his grievances over Twitter that time. He reportedly asked advisors and lawyers in early 2019 about what the FCC, the court system, and even the Department of Justice could do to look into “SNL” and other late-night comedy figures who had mocked him. That inquiry did not amount to any actions, according to the outlet.
In 2022, Trump said the show’s ratings were “HUUUGE!” when he hosted, but that they’ve since tapered off. The most recent season of “SNL” was the most-watched in three years, with a season average of more than 8 million viewers.
He went on to write that creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels is “angry and exhausted, the show even more so. It was once good, never great, but now, like the Late Night Losers who have lost their audience but have no idea why, it is over for SNL — A great thing for America!”
Michaels, who rarely gives interviews, reflected on the cancellation of Colbert’s show and what it means for late-night television in an August conversation with Puck News. Michaels said he was “stunned” by CBS’ cancellation of “The Late Show,” but added, “I don’t think any of us are going to ever know” if the decision was political.
“Whatever crimes Trump is committing, he’s doing it in broad daylight,” Michaels went on to say. “There is absolutely nothing that the people who vote for him — or me — don’t know.” He also called Trump a “really powerful media figure” who “knows how to hold an audience.”
“His politics are obviously not my politics, but denouncing [him] doesn’t work,” he added.
While many cold opens and “Weekend Update” segments have been dedicated to skewering the president, often making him the butt of jokes, the cold open in the episode immediately following the 2024 election had a different approach. Trump’s opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, had appeared on an episode just days before the election, but after Trump’s victory, the cast promised they had “been with [him] all along,” adding that they all voted for him and supported him.
“If you’re keeping some sort of list of your enemies, then we should not be on that list,” they said before debuting their new Trump impression, “Hot jacked Trump,” which featured impressionist James Austin Johnson in a muscle tee and a headband.
Johnson began portraying the president on the series in 2021, and Michaels said he will continue in the role for Season 51. His portrayal mirror’s Trump’s speech patterns and his tendency to veer into tangents about pop culture. Since Trump’s inauguration in January, the cold opens have zeroed in on Trump, focusing on his relationship with Elon Musk and his policies.
The “Weekend Update” segment, hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che, tends to take sharper jabs the president’s policies and comments, as well as other administration officials.
In the Puck interview, Michaels implied the show wasn’t going to back down, and when he was asked whether political comedy will be tougher in the current climate, Michaels said no.
“I don’t think anybody knows what Michael Che’s politics are,” he said, “but they do think he’s funny.”
Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC who has been in the headlines for his role in Kimmel’s benching, wrote in 2020 that political satire is one of the “oldest and most important forms of free speech.”
“From Internet memes to late-night comedians, from cartoons to the plays and poems as old as organized government itself — Political Satire circumvents traditional gatekeepers & helps hold those in power accountable,” he continued. “Not surprising that it’s long been targeted for censorship.”
JIMMY Kimmel returned to his show on Tuesday night after ABC yanked him from the air nearly a week ago.
Kimmel, 57, addressed his audience after his show was pulled last week over controversial comments he made about political activist and influencer Charlie Kirk’s shooter.
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Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night show on Tuesday night after being pulled from air nearly a week ago
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Kimmel’s show’s Instagram shared this shot of the comedian coming out to take the stage on Tuesday
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Kimmel was seen arriving to the ABC studios ahead of his return Tuesday nightCredit: BackGrid
During his opening monologue, Kimmel took the time to speak out about free speech and the political climate in America.
The late night host took to the stage as he was welcomed with a standing ovation and chants of “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.”
The comedian opened the show with a crack, “If you’re just joining us, we are preempting your regularly scheduled encore episode of Celebrity Family Feud to bring you this special report.”
“I’m happy to be here tonight,” he added.
“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” he said with a chuckle.
Kimmel took the time to thank a slew of friends, including his “fellow late-night talk show hosts, my friend Stephen Colbert who found himself in this predicament. My friend, John Stewart, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon.”
He also thanked the many people who don’t align with his political leanings but who still stood up for his right to say it.
He thanked Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, and then said “and even my old pal Ted Cruz,” before running a sound bite from the Texas senator.
Kimmel then continued “Some of the things they say even make me want to throw up but it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did it. They deserve credit for it.”
ON HIS COMMENTS ON CHARLIE KIRK’S KILLER
The late-night host’s voice cracked as he opened up about the murder of activist Charlie Kirk and cleared the air, denouncing his killing unequivocally.
He continued, “I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said as he fought back tears.
“I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to [Kirk’s] family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, and I still do, nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”
“That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some that felt either it was ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset,” he continued.
“If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all, I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone.
“This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn’t it ever and also, selfishly, I am the person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my co workers because of what I choose to say, and I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love.”
“So that’s what I wanted to say on that subject,” he continued.
ON RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
Kimmel then turned to the First Amendment, explaining that he’s spoken with comedians in countries like Russia and the Middle East who said they’d be thrown in jail or worse for making fun of those in power.
“They know how lucky we are here.
“Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country, and that’s something I’m embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Steven [Colbert] off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air.
“That’s not legal. That’s not American. That is un-American.”
He then turned his sites to Federal Communications Chairman, Brendan Carr.
“Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, telling an American company, We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ and that these companies can find ways to change conduct and take action on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead, in addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public,” Kimmel said.
The late night host then shared a clip of President Donald Trump vehemently heralding free speech in a quote in 2022.
He then played another quote from the president, which was from this week, in which he said of Kimmel “Look, he was fired. He had no talent. He’s a whack job, but he had no talent. More importantly, then talent, because a lot of people who have no talent get ratings, he had no ratings,” to which the audience booed.
Kimmel then joked “He tried, did his best to cancel me instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show which backfired ‘bigly.’
“He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now,” to which his audience erupted in raucous applause.
RATINGS BOOST?
As The U.S. Sun previously revealed, ABC execs are expecting Tuesday night’s show will prove a ratings boom.
The source said, “Everybody is excited about Kimmel’s expected ratings boost this week.
“Jimmy is becoming an icon for free speech… and now he’ll be even more secure as long as he plays his cards right.”
However, the late night host’s big return wasn’t aired in all markets.
Affiliate carriers, Sinclair and Nexstar, said they wouldn’t be airing Kimmel’s return on their stations.
“There are ongoing talks this morning [Tuesday] between Nexstar, Sinclair, and Disney, but Disney has drawn the line and is prepared for the fight,” an insider revealed.
On Monday night, Sinclair Broadcasting Group announced its decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! across its ABC affiliate stations, replacing the program with local news.
However, an insider pointed out that affiliate stations have contractual obligations to carry ABC programming, including advertisements that have already been sold.
Jimmy Kimmel return date revealed after ABC yanked host for ‘ill-timed and insensitive comments’
The source alleged, “The affiliates are basically posturing for the White House,” while suggesting that the companies may be attempting to breach their contracts with ABC.
NEXSTAR’S BIG MOVE
Nexstar is seeking approval from the Trump administration’s FCC for an unprecedented acquisition of its competitor, Tegna, according to The New York Times.
If approved, the deal would likely surpass the current cap on households a single media company can reach.
An insider told The U.S. Sun that Disney is ready to take on Sinclair and Nexstar in the ongoing dispute over the suspension of Kimmel Live!
“Disney legal is prepared to fight it out, and right now, from a brand perspective, they’ve got nothing to lose by fighting,” the source said. “Disney holds the cards here.”
When reached for comment by The U.S. Sun, Nexstar declined to respond.
ABC and Sinclair were also contacted for comment.
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ABC suspended Kimmel’s show after controversial comments about the shooter of conservative activist and influencer Charlie KirkCredit: Getty
LATE NIGHT DRAMA
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended after backlash erupted over controversial comments the comedian made regarding the suspected assassin of activist and influencer Charlie Kirk.
Just hours before his scheduled return on Tuesday night, Kimmel broke his silence.
The comedian posted a photo of himself with his late friend and producer Norman Lear, captioned, “Missing this guy today.”
KIMMEL RETURNS
On Monday afternoon, ABC issued a statement confirming that “thoughtful discussions” had taken place with Kimmel following his suspension.
The statement read, “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
EXACTLY WHAT KIMMEL SAID THAT GOT HIM YANKED
This is Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue from Monday, September 15, that got the show pulled from air.
Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
“In between the finger-pointing, the White House flew the flag at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president was taking this,” he continued before the show cut to a clip of Trump.
The president was seen standing on the White House lawn as a reporter asked him how he was “holding up” a day and a half following Kirk’s death.
“I think very good,” said Trump before abruptly pointing to trucks and saying they are starting construction on the new White House ballroom.
The show then cut back to Kimmel, who said, “He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” before the audience burst out in laughter.
“This is not how an adult grieved the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish. OK?”
Kimmel said this wasn’t the first time that Trump has dodged questions about Kirk, and the show cut to an interview the president had with Fox & Friends the morning after the conservative activist’s death.
Trump told the hosts that he was chatting with architects about the White House project when he learned about the shooting before the show cut back to Kimmel.
“And then we installed the most beautiful chandelier,” mocked Kimmel.
CHAOS ON SET
As The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed last week, the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! was made just minutes before taping began on Wednesday, September 17th.
“Things transpired very fast. Word filtered down to the individual stations around 3 pm that Jimmy would get pulled, and it sent station heads panicking,” an insider shared.
“Jimmy and the crew were getting ready to film when, at 3:45 pm, news broke widely, and that’s how the crew found out. They were shocked.”
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, described Kimmel’s remarks as “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
KIRK’S MURDER
Charlie Kirk was killed on September 10th while speaking with students at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Tyler Robinson, 22, allegedly fired a single shot at Kirk, according to officials.
Robinson turned himself in 33 hours later after confessing the crime to his family, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed.
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Kimmel also spoke at length about President Donald Trump in his Tuesday night monologueCredit: EPA
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Kimmel has received support from fans and stars alikeCredit: AFP
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Kimmel made comments about the shooting of Charlie Kirk, who is seen here with his wife Erika, last week that drew backlash from someCredit: Instagram
ABC has cancelled Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely after the veteran host, Jimmy Kimmel, made several comments about the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination
03:26, 18 Sep 2025Updated 03:33, 18 Sep 2025
Jimmy Kimmel’s programme has been scrapped(Image: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Jimmy Kimmel is said to be “p*ssed” over ABC’s decision to axe his late-night show indefinitely.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been scrapped following the veteran host’s divisive comments about the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Monday and Tuesday’s shows. A group of ABC-affiliated stations said it would not air the programme, citing the remarks broadcast less than one week after the killing as the reason.
But the star, who has hosted and been executive producer of the show since 2003, “isn’t going to take this lightly,” according to sources. One insider said: “Jimmy is p*ssed over the decision to suspend him and the show and he isn’t going to take this lightly, as he is actively looking for ways to get out of his contract. This is the last straw and Jimmy is now looking to forever break his relationship with ABC forever.”
Kimmel is pictured at a Democratic coordinated campaign canvass launch last year(Image: Getty Images)
Kimmel’s comments included: “Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” He also said on Monday’s programme: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid ‘who murdered’ Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
These were deemed “offensive and insensitive” by Nexstar Communications Group, which operates 23 ABC affiliates, and ABC itself moved swiftly on Wednesday. Kimmel, himself, is yet to comment on ABC’s move but President Donald Trump brazenly posted on Truth Social: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
Kimmel’s contract is up in May next year, though, and insiders believe he is now “looking for ways to get out” of the deal. It is believed Kimmel, 57, is set to go on Stephen Colbert’s show in the US in the coming days as Colbert – a Democrat – has also been criticised by Mr Trump after his show was axed by CBS in the summer.
The source told the Daily Mail: “They both are in the same predicament with being against the Trump administration, and they are now looking to do something together to fight for what they believe in. They both don’t want Trump to win in any way or fashion at all, and this has lit an extreme fire under Jimmy’s a** to continue to tell it like it is and be real to himself.”
The suspect in the Kirk case is Tyler Robinson, a young man who grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year.
CNN has hired veteran California political reporter and anchor Elex Michaelson to lead a new late-night newscast based in the Los Angeles area.
The network announced Thursday that Michaelson, who left Fox’s L.A. station KTTV last month, will helm a nightly two-hour live broadcast from CNN’s studios on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank starting in mid-October.
The program will air from 9 to 11 p.m. on the West Coast and midnight to 2 a.m. in the east. It will also be carried on CNN International in Europe and Asia.
Michaelson told The Times in an interview that he first pitched the idea of live program for West Coast prime-time viewers to CNN executives 4½ years ago. They passed.
“Sometimes good things happen to those who wait,” Michaelson said.
The timing may be advantageous this time around as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has become an increasingly prominent national political figure with his direct challenges to and social media mockery of President Trump.
Newsom is seen as a potential leading candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Eyes will also be on L.A.-based former Vice President Kamala Harris, who could also make another run for the White House.
Fox 11 anchor Elex Michaelson and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eating Michaelson’s mom’s baked good at a prior event.
(Elex Michaelson)
Michaelson believes he has interviewed Newsom more than any other TV journalist in the state. Along with his duties as anchor of KTTV’s evening and late-night newscasts, he hosted “The Issue Is,” a weekly program devoted mostly to California issues that aired on several Fox-owned TV stations in the state.
Michaelson’s CNN program, which does not yet have a title, will be the only live cable news show in the post-midnight time slot. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC all currently run repeats in those hours because the number of homes watching television drops off dramatically after 11 p.m. Eastern.
Michaelson’s program will be the first CNN show to be based in Los Angeles since “Larry King Live” ended its run in 2010. “Fox News @ Night,” the nightly newscast anchored by Trace Gallagher that airs at 11 p.m. Eastern and 8 p.m. Pacific, is the only other national cable news show produced in the city.
Earlier this year, CNN offered the after-midnight shift to Washington-based anchor Jim Acosta, who was a high-profile antagonist of President Trump during his tenure as White House correspondent.
Acosta was holding down a midday hour at the time, and the proposed move to midnight was largely viewed as a demotion and a capitulation to Trump in his second term. The plan was presented after Warner Bros. Discovery executives signaled that CNN needed to increase its appeal to Republican viewers.
The appointment of Michaelson gives the late-night CNN program a clearer editorial rationale. A native of Agoura Hills, Michaelson has spent his entire journalism career in Southern California, where he is a well-known figure.
Michaelson said his presence in Los Angeles will enable to him to book “West Coast thought leaders in politics, entertainment, technology, sports and more.”
Michaelson’s program will launch a few weeks before Californians vote on a proposal to redraw the boundaries of the state’s congressional districts.
“The showdown on Nov. 4 over the issue of redistricting could determine who controls the U.S. House next year and whether there is actually a check and balance on the Trump administration,” Michaelson said. “Although it’s a fight in California, the impact will be felt not just around the country but around the world.”
Michaelson is known for thanking guests who appeared on “The Issue Is” with fresh baked goods from his mother’s kitchen.
He acknowledged that the tradition will be difficult to maintain with a nightly two-hour program featuring multiple guests. “We may need to revise that,” he said.
‘SNL’ is another late-night show that has been a target of Trump’s ire
President Trump has said many things about “Saturday Night Live” over the years. Few of them are favorable, highlighting his disdain for the late-night sketch comedy show, though his previous stints as host would suggest otherwise.
The president hosted the show in 2004 and in 2015, shortly after announcing his first run for president. The decision to have him host “SNL” in 2015 was controversial at the time, but NBC’s top brass defended the move, citing his front-runner status among Republicans and the high ratings it produced. “At the end of the day, he was on the show for 11 minutes and … it wasn’t like the Earth fell off its axis,” said then-NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt during the Television Critics Assn. press tour in 2016. He would later call Trump “toxic” and “demented.”
Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly said he believes the show is unfunny, lacks talent and is “just a political ad for the Dems” nowadays. The sentiment echoes comments he’s made about late-night talk show hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel and their respective shows, each known for skewering Trump. With Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” set to begin Saturday, and recent settlements with media outlets and tech companies making headlines — YouTube settled a Trump lawsuit for nearly $25 million Monday over the suspension of his account — a renewed focus will be on the show and how it spoofs the president and his policies.
Colbert’s series was canceled by CBS in July and will conclude its 10-year run next year in May. While CBS cited financial reasons for its decision to end Colbert’s show, the host was a vocal critic of both Trump and CBS’ parent company, Paramount, which had recently settled a lawsuit with Trump just before the Federal Communications Commission approved its merger with Skydance Media (Colbert called the settlement “a big fat bribe”).
Kimmel was benched by ABC in September after the head of the FCC, a Trump appointee, threatened the network over the host’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer. Kimmel has since returned to the air, and used his first episode back to defend free speech. Colbert and Kimmel also appeared as guests on each other’s shows Tuesday, expressing mutual support and cracking jokes at Trump’s expense. Trump has also called for NBC to ax its late-night hosts Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, both of whom are “SNL” alums.
Now, “SNL” could be the next target of the administration’s scrutiny. Trump’s posts on social media have previously aired his disapproval for how the series mocks and satirizes him and his administration, and he has suggested investigating NBC as result.
“Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC!,” Trump tweeted in February 2019, during his first term in office. “Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!”
Donald Trump in 2015, the year NBC cut ties after he made comments about undocumented Mexican immigrants.
(Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images)
Over the years, Trump has had a contentious relationship with the network that once aired “The Apprentice,” the show that made him a reality TV star, and his Miss Universe pageant. In 2015, NBC cut ties with Trump over comments he made about undocumented Mexican immigrants.
“Saturday Night Live,” which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year with multiple specials, has been churning out political parodies for decades, and its comedy has targeted leaders from all political backgrounds.
The first time Trump was portrayed on “SNL” was in 1988 by then-cast member Phil Hartman. Since then, a host of actors and cast members have cycled through with their Trump impressions, with one of the most memorable being Alec Baldwin, who took over from Darrell Hammond in 2016 ahead of the presidential election.
Trump disliked Baldwin’s portrayal, and wrote in 2018 that Baldwin’s “dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation.” Baldwin won an Emmy for supporting actor in 2017 for playing the president.
The “30 Rock” actor’s stint as Trump on “SNL” lasted through 2020, and he made appearances as Trump even when the show was filming remotely during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of his most memorable moments impersonating the president were in cold opens that mocked the debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Alec Baldwin in 2017 as President-elect Donald J. Trump during a “Saturday Night Live” cold open sketch.
(Will Heath / NBC)
In March 2019, Trump wrote that “SNL” continues “knocking the same person (me), over & over, without so much of a mention of ‘the other side.’” The episode that aired the weekend he wrote that tweet was a rerun. “Like an advertisement without consequences,” he went on.
According to reports from the Daily Beast, Trump took a step beyond airing his grievances over Twitter that time. He reportedly asked advisors and lawyers in early 2019 about what the FCC, the court system, and even the Department of Justice could do to look into “SNL” and other late-night comedy figures who had mocked him. That inquiry did not amount to any actions, according to the outlet.
In 2022, Trump said the show’s ratings were “HUUUGE!” when he hosted, but that they’ve since tapered off. The most recent season of “SNL” was the most-watched in three years, with a season average of more than 8 million viewers.
He went on to write that creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels is “angry and exhausted, the show even more so. It was once good, never great, but now, like the Late Night Losers who have lost their audience but have no idea why, it is over for SNL — A great thing for America!”
Michaels, who rarely gives interviews, reflected on the cancellation of Colbert’s show and what it means for late-night television in an August conversation with Puck News. Michaels said he was “stunned” by CBS’ cancellation of “The Late Show,” but added, “I don’t think any of us are going to ever know” if the decision was political.
“Whatever crimes Trump is committing, he’s doing it in broad daylight,” Michaels went on to say. “There is absolutely nothing that the people who vote for him — or me — don’t know.” He also called Trump a “really powerful media figure” who “knows how to hold an audience.”
“His politics are obviously not my politics, but denouncing [him] doesn’t work,” he added.
While many cold opens and “Weekend Update” segments have been dedicated to skewering the president, often making him the butt of jokes, the cold open in the episode immediately following the 2024 election had a different approach. Trump’s opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, had appeared on an episode just days before the election, but after Trump’s victory, the cast promised they had “been with [him] all along,” adding that they all voted for him and supported him.
“If you’re keeping some sort of list of your enemies, then we should not be on that list,” they said before debuting their new Trump impression, “Hot jacked Trump,” which featured impressionist James Austin Johnson in a muscle tee and a headband.
Johnson began portraying the president on the series in 2021, and Michaels said he will continue in the role for Season 51. His portrayal mirror’s Trump’s speech patterns and his tendency to veer into tangents about pop culture. Since Trump’s inauguration in January, the cold opens have zeroed in on Trump, focusing on his relationship with Elon Musk and his policies.
The “Weekend Update” segment, hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che, tends to take sharper jabs the president’s policies and comments, as well as other administration officials.
In the Puck interview, Michaels implied the show wasn’t going to back down, and when he was asked whether political comedy will be tougher in the current climate, Michaels said no.
“I don’t think anybody knows what Michael Che’s politics are,” he said, “but they do think he’s funny.”
Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC who has been in the headlines for his role in Kimmel’s benching, wrote in 2020 that political satire is one of the “oldest and most important forms of free speech.”
“From Internet memes to late-night comedians, from cartoons to the plays and poems as old as organized government itself — Political Satire circumvents traditional gatekeepers & helps hold those in power accountable,” he continued. “Not surprising that it’s long been targeted for censorship.”
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Jimmy Kimmel makes emotional return to late-night show & breaks down in tears as he addresses his Charlie Kirk comments
JIMMY Kimmel returned to his show on Tuesday night after ABC yanked him from the air nearly a week ago.
Kimmel, 57, addressed his audience after his show was pulled last week over controversial comments he made about political activist and influencer Charlie Kirk’s shooter.
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During his opening monologue, Kimmel took the time to speak out about free speech and the political climate in America.
The late night host took to the stage as he was welcomed with a standing ovation and chants of “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.”
The comedian opened the show with a crack, “If you’re just joining us, we are preempting your regularly scheduled encore episode of Celebrity Family Feud to bring you this special report.”
“I’m happy to be here tonight,” he added.
“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” he said with a chuckle.
Kimmel took the time to thank a slew of friends, including his “fellow late-night talk show hosts, my friend Stephen Colbert who found himself in this predicament. My friend, John Stewart, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon.”
He also thanked the many people who don’t align with his political leanings but who still stood up for his right to say it.
He thanked Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, and then said “and even my old pal Ted Cruz,” before running a sound bite from the Texas senator.
Kimmel then continued “Some of the things they say even make me want to throw up but it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did it. They deserve credit for it.”
ON HIS COMMENTS ON CHARLIE KIRK’S KILLER
The late-night host’s voice cracked as he opened up about the murder of activist Charlie Kirk and cleared the air, denouncing his killing unequivocally.
He continued, “I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said as he fought back tears.
“I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to [Kirk’s] family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, and I still do, nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”
“That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some that felt either it was ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset,” he continued.
“If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all, I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone.
“This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn’t it ever and also, selfishly, I am the person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my co workers because of what I choose to say, and I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love.”
“So that’s what I wanted to say on that subject,” he continued.
ON RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
Kimmel then turned to the First Amendment, explaining that he’s spoken with comedians in countries like Russia and the Middle East who said they’d be thrown in jail or worse for making fun of those in power.
“They know how lucky we are here.
“Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country, and that’s something I’m embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Steven [Colbert] off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air.
“That’s not legal. That’s not American. That is un-American.”
He then turned his sites to Federal Communications Chairman, Brendan Carr.
“Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, telling an American company, We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ and that these companies can find ways to change conduct and take action on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead, in addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public,” Kimmel said.
The late night host then shared a clip of President Donald Trump vehemently heralding free speech in a quote in 2022.
He then played another quote from the president, which was from this week, in which he said of Kimmel “Look, he was fired. He had no talent. He’s a whack job, but he had no talent. More importantly, then talent, because a lot of people who have no talent get ratings, he had no ratings,” to which the audience booed.
Kimmel then joked “He tried, did his best to cancel me instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show which backfired ‘bigly.’
“He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now,” to which his audience erupted in raucous applause.
RATINGS BOOST?
As The U.S. Sun previously revealed, ABC execs are expecting Tuesday night’s show will prove a ratings boom.
The source said, “Everybody is excited about Kimmel’s expected ratings boost this week.
“Jimmy is becoming an icon for free speech… and now he’ll be even more secure as long as he plays his cards right.”
However, the late night host’s big return wasn’t aired in all markets.
Affiliate carriers, Sinclair and Nexstar, said they wouldn’t be airing Kimmel’s return on their stations.
“There are ongoing talks this morning [Tuesday] between Nexstar, Sinclair, and Disney, but Disney has drawn the line and is prepared for the fight,” an insider revealed.
On Monday night, Sinclair Broadcasting Group announced its decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! across its ABC affiliate stations, replacing the program with local news.
However, an insider pointed out that affiliate stations have contractual obligations to carry ABC programming, including advertisements that have already been sold.
The source alleged, “The affiliates are basically posturing for the White House,” while suggesting that the companies may be attempting to breach their contracts with ABC.
NEXSTAR’S BIG MOVE
Nexstar is seeking approval from the Trump administration’s FCC for an unprecedented acquisition of its competitor, Tegna, according to The New York Times.
If approved, the deal would likely surpass the current cap on households a single media company can reach.
An insider told The U.S. Sun that Disney is ready to take on Sinclair and Nexstar in the ongoing dispute over the suspension of Kimmel Live!
“Disney legal is prepared to fight it out, and right now, from a brand perspective, they’ve got nothing to lose by fighting,” the source said. “Disney holds the cards here.”
When reached for comment by The U.S. Sun, Nexstar declined to respond.
ABC and Sinclair were also contacted for comment.
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LATE NIGHT DRAMA
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended after backlash erupted over controversial comments the comedian made regarding the suspected assassin of activist and influencer Charlie Kirk.
Just hours before his scheduled return on Tuesday night, Kimmel broke his silence.
The comedian posted a photo of himself with his late friend and producer Norman Lear, captioned, “Missing this guy today.”
KIMMEL RETURNS
On Monday afternoon, ABC issued a statement confirming that “thoughtful discussions” had taken place with Kimmel following his suspension.
The statement read, “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
EXACTLY WHAT KIMMEL SAID THAT GOT HIM YANKED
This is Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue from Monday, September 15, that got the show pulled from air.
Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
“In between the finger-pointing, the White House flew the flag at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president was taking this,” he continued before the show cut to a clip of Trump.
The president was seen standing on the White House lawn as a reporter asked him how he was “holding up” a day and a half following Kirk’s death.
“I think very good,” said Trump before abruptly pointing to trucks and saying they are starting construction on the new White House ballroom.
The show then cut back to Kimmel, who said, “He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” before the audience burst out in laughter.
“This is not how an adult grieved the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish. OK?”
Kimmel said this wasn’t the first time that Trump has dodged questions about Kirk, and the show cut to an interview the president had with Fox & Friends the morning after the conservative activist’s death.
Trump told the hosts that he was chatting with architects about the White House project when he learned about the shooting before the show cut back to Kimmel.
“And then we installed the most beautiful chandelier,” mocked Kimmel.
CHAOS ON SET
As The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed last week, the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! was made just minutes before taping began on Wednesday, September 17th.
“Things transpired very fast. Word filtered down to the individual stations around 3 pm that Jimmy would get pulled, and it sent station heads panicking,” an insider shared.
“Jimmy and the crew were getting ready to film when, at 3:45 pm, news broke widely, and that’s how the crew found out. They were shocked.”
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, described Kimmel’s remarks as “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
KIRK’S MURDER
Charlie Kirk was killed on September 10th while speaking with students at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Tyler Robinson, 22, allegedly fired a single shot at Kirk, according to officials.
Robinson turned himself in 33 hours later after confessing the crime to his family, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed.
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Jimmy Kimmel’s savage reaction to ABC’s decision to axe his late-night show
ABC has cancelled Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely after the veteran host, Jimmy Kimmel, made several comments about the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination
03:26, 18 Sep 2025Updated 03:33, 18 Sep 2025
Jimmy Kimmel is said to be “p*ssed” over ABC’s decision to axe his late-night show indefinitely.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been scrapped following the veteran host’s divisive comments about the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Monday and Tuesday’s shows. A group of ABC-affiliated stations said it would not air the programme, citing the remarks broadcast less than one week after the killing as the reason.
But the star, who has hosted and been executive producer of the show since 2003, “isn’t going to take this lightly,” according to sources. One insider said: “Jimmy is p*ssed over the decision to suspend him and the show and he isn’t going to take this lightly, as he is actively looking for ways to get out of his contract. This is the last straw and Jimmy is now looking to forever break his relationship with ABC forever.”
READ MORE: News reporter blasted for ‘jaw-dropping’ response to Charlie Kirk killer’s messagesREAD MORE: Charlie Kirk shooting: Tyler Robinson wears anti-suicide vest in court charged with murder
Kimmel’s comments included: “Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” He also said on Monday’s programme: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid ‘who murdered’ Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
These were deemed “offensive and insensitive” by Nexstar Communications Group, which operates 23 ABC affiliates, and ABC itself moved swiftly on Wednesday. Kimmel, himself, is yet to comment on ABC’s move but President Donald Trump brazenly posted on Truth Social: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
READ MORE: Trump makes ‘creepy’ comment about Attorney General Pam Bondi in Cabinet meeting
Kimmel’s contract is up in May next year, though, and insiders believe he is now “looking for ways to get out” of the deal. It is believed Kimmel, 57, is set to go on Stephen Colbert’s show in the US in the coming days as Colbert – a Democrat – has also been criticised by Mr Trump after his show was axed by CBS in the summer.
The source told the Daily Mail: “They both are in the same predicament with being against the Trump administration, and they are now looking to do something together to fight for what they believe in. They both don’t want Trump to win in any way or fashion at all, and this has lit an extreme fire under Jimmy’s a** to continue to tell it like it is and be real to himself.”
The suspect in the Kirk case is Tyler Robinson, a young man who grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but was enmeshed in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LGBTQ rights in the last year.
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Elex Michaelson joins CNN as anchor for a late-night program based in Los Angeles
CNN has hired veteran California political reporter and anchor Elex Michaelson to lead a new late-night newscast based in the Los Angeles area.
The network announced Thursday that Michaelson, who left Fox’s L.A. station KTTV last month, will helm a nightly two-hour live broadcast from CNN’s studios on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank starting in mid-October.
The program will air from 9 to 11 p.m. on the West Coast and midnight to 2 a.m. in the east. It will also be carried on CNN International in Europe and Asia.
Michaelson told The Times in an interview that he first pitched the idea of live program for West Coast prime-time viewers to CNN executives 4½ years ago. They passed.
“Sometimes good things happen to those who wait,” Michaelson said.
The timing may be advantageous this time around as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has become an increasingly prominent national political figure with his direct challenges to and social media mockery of President Trump.
Newsom is seen as a potential leading candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Eyes will also be on L.A.-based former Vice President Kamala Harris, who could also make another run for the White House.
Fox 11 anchor Elex Michaelson and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eating Michaelson’s mom’s baked good at a prior event.
(Elex Michaelson)
Michaelson believes he has interviewed Newsom more than any other TV journalist in the state. Along with his duties as anchor of KTTV’s evening and late-night newscasts, he hosted “The Issue Is,” a weekly program devoted mostly to California issues that aired on several Fox-owned TV stations in the state.
Michaelson’s CNN program, which does not yet have a title, will be the only live cable news show in the post-midnight time slot. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC all currently run repeats in those hours because the number of homes watching television drops off dramatically after 11 p.m. Eastern.
Michaelson’s program will be the first CNN show to be based in Los Angeles since “Larry King Live” ended its run in 2010. “Fox News @ Night,” the nightly newscast anchored by Trace Gallagher that airs at 11 p.m. Eastern and 8 p.m. Pacific, is the only other national cable news show produced in the city.
Earlier this year, CNN offered the after-midnight shift to Washington-based anchor Jim Acosta, who was a high-profile antagonist of President Trump during his tenure as White House correspondent.
Acosta was holding down a midday hour at the time, and the proposed move to midnight was largely viewed as a demotion and a capitulation to Trump in his second term. The plan was presented after Warner Bros. Discovery executives signaled that CNN needed to increase its appeal to Republican viewers.
Acosta chose to leave the network in January instead of taking the role and has been reporting for his own Substack newsletter.
The appointment of Michaelson gives the late-night CNN program a clearer editorial rationale. A native of Agoura Hills, Michaelson has spent his entire journalism career in Southern California, where he is a well-known figure.
Michaelson said his presence in Los Angeles will enable to him to book “West Coast thought leaders in politics, entertainment, technology, sports and more.”
Michaelson’s program will launch a few weeks before Californians vote on a proposal to redraw the boundaries of the state’s congressional districts.
“The showdown on Nov. 4 over the issue of redistricting could determine who controls the U.S. House next year and whether there is actually a check and balance on the Trump administration,” Michaelson said. “Although it’s a fight in California, the impact will be felt not just around the country but around the world.”
Michaelson is known for thanking guests who appeared on “The Issue Is” with fresh baked goods from his mother’s kitchen.
He acknowledged that the tradition will be difficult to maintain with a nightly two-hour program featuring multiple guests. “We may need to revise that,” he said.
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