ABC funnyman Jimmy Kimmel hinted he could join the growing list of comedians leaving the U.S. to escape the Trump administration.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host visited comic Sarah Silverman’s podcast, where he said he’s eligible to become an Italian citizen and didn’t dismiss the idea of spending time abroad due to his his feelings about Donald Trump’s second presidency.
“What’s going on is as bad as you thought it was gonna be,” he told Silverman. “It’s so much worse. It’s just unbelievable.”
Silverman, who once dated Kimmel, agreed, prompting the Brooklyn native to suggest Trump’s time in office may be going worse than even the President wants it to be.
“Way worse,” Silverman said in agreement with Kimmel’s claim that the nation has had a tough first half of 2025.
Comedian Ellen DeGeneres and actor Portia de Rossi made the United Kingdom their home after Trump came to power. Comic Rosie O’Donnell said in April that she moved to Ireland when the President took power again in January. Performers Minnie Driver and Sophie Turner also chose to leave the U.S. due in part to politics, according to Newsweek. People magazine last month ran a list of 16 show business personalities who opted to decamp during the new Trump era.
Kimmel lives and works in California, though Trump has recently suggested the comic — who harshly mocks the President on his late night show — may be out of work sooner than later.
“The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, [Jimmy] Fallon will be gone,” Trump posted on Truth Social on July 22. “These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”
CBS announced last month it would end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in May for financial purposes.
Trump has targeted media outlets including CBS and ABC with pricey litigation since his re-election in November. CBS’ parent company said it paid $16 million to settle a suit with Trump in July. ABC News said in December it would give $15 million to Trump’s presidential library to settle its dispute with the incoming Commander-in-Chief.
With News Wire Services
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