LOS ANGELES – Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel reveled in a cheeky victory lap Monday, proclaiming himself “more popular than the President of the United States” based on a fresh YouGov poll that has late-night TV buzzing and the White House fuming. The quip, delivered during his opening monologue on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” came amid Kimmel’s ongoing feud with President Donald Trump, whose administration briefly suspended the show last month over a controversial segment on Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The Economist/YouGov survey, conducted September 26-29 among 1,656 U.S. adults, pegged Kimmel’s net favorability at +3 (44% favorable, 41% unfavorable), edging out Trump’s -13 (41% favorable, 54% unfavorable). “They polled more than 1,000 people, and I lead Trump by 16 points,” Kimmel crowed, deadpanning, “You know I don’t like to upset him.” He twisted the knife further: “The president has a lower approval rating than Diddy and diarrhea.” The audience erupted, but Kimmel tempered the triumph: “Considering I’m not a convicted felon friend of Jeffrey Epstein… my rating should be higher.”
The poll’s timing amplified the schadenfreude. Kimmel’s September 15 monologue mocked MAGA’s response to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s onstage slaying, prompting FCC Chair Brendan Carr—a Trump appointee—to decry it as “truly sick” and threaten ABC’s license. The network yanked the show for six days, drawing boycott calls from peers like Stephen Colbert and protests over free speech. ABC reinstated Kimmel on September 22, citing public outcry, with his return episode drawing 6.2 million viewers—four times his average—and a YouTube monologue topping 21 million views.
Trump, who initially hailed the suspension as “great news for America,” lashed out post-reinstatement on Truth Social: “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back… Why would they want someone back who does so poorly?” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson dismissed the poll as “ironic entitlement,” noting Trump’s 77 million votes: “Jimmy prays for a fraction of that support.” Kimmel fired back in his bit: “If he’s looking to improve his numbers, release the Epstein files.”
The spat underscores a broader cultural rift: Late-night satire as resistance, or elite snark fueling division? With Trump’s approval dipping amid deportation controversies, Kimmel’s poll perch—however fleeting—offers comic catharsis. As midterms loom, expect more barbs: In Hollywood’s arena, the host’s ratings war just got presidential.
