EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump's Late-Night 'Kill List' Revealed After Jimmy Kimmel Is Axed — From Jimmy Fallon to Trevor Noah
Donald Trump was thrilled Jimmy Kimmel's show was given the boot over comments about Charlie Kirk.
Sept. 22 2025, Published 4:23 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has drawn up a secret "kill list" of liberal late-night comedians he wants driven off the air, multiple television industry sources tell RadarOnline.com.
The president, 79, is said to have issued the list to key broadcast contacts just hours after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was abruptly suspended by ABC.
The network has confirmed Jimmy Kimmel's long-running show would be put on ice "indefinitely" following a series of scathing monologues in which the 57-year-old comic mocked conservatives over the murder of activist Charlie Kirk.
As of Monday, September 22, ABC announced Kimmel's show is returning one week after getting axed.
Trump's Celebration
Trump's celebratory online post about Kimmel's axing came shortly after the news.
Within minutes, Trump celebrated on his social media platform Truth Social, claiming Kimmel's removal was "great news for America" and urging rival networks to sack other critics including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah.
One Republican media strategist with direct knowledge of Trump's plan said: "He has privately circulated a list of names – Fallon, Colbert, Meyers, Noah, and of course Kimmel. He wants them all gone.
"The instruction to his allies is to lean on the networks until every one of them is silenced."
Trump's celebratory online post about Kimmel's axing left little doubt about his intentions.
"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done," he jeered.
"Kimmel has zero talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that's possible.
"That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!"
Cracking Down
The president's fury against lefties such as Kimmel goes far beyond social media rants.
The outburst came after Kimmel doubled down on jokes about Kirk's killing during two consecutive monologues.
"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them," Kimmel told viewers.
He then ridiculed Vice President JD Vance, saying: "Trump is fanning the flames by attacking people on the left."
According to a senior executive at a major network, the president's fury against lefties such as Kimmel goes far beyond social media rants.
"He is making calls," the executive said. "There's a pressure campaign to push these shows off the air. Trump doesn't just want Kimmel sidelined – he's demanding a full clear-out of the late-night field."
Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, publicly defended ABC's decision, saying Kimmel was "suffering the consequences" of his words.
Carr Feeling The Pressure
Networks have been suffering from low ratings over the last few months.
Privately, a communications industry insider claimed Carr has faced "relentless pressure" from Trump to tighten regulatory scrutiny of broadcasters who employ satirical hosts critical of his administration.
Not everyone in Washington has welcomed the move.
The SAG-AFTRA union condemned Kimmel's suspension, warning: "Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on."
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The SAG-AFTRA union condemned Kimmel's suspension.
Meanwhile, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich applauded the network's move.
"Welcome to consequence culture," Budowich said. "Companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing."
For Trump, late-night comedy has long been a political battleground.
Fallon has remained on his radar since their infamous 2016 interview, while Meyers regularly skewers the president in his Closer Look segments. Colbert has already been told by CBS his show will end this season, a decision critics believe was influenced by his sharp anti-Trump stance.
Noah stepped away from The Daily Show in 2022, but insiders say Trump continues to fume over his legacy.
"He sees these shows as the last standing megaphones of the liberal elite," said one longtime Trump adviser. "And he won't rest until every one of them is off the air."
Colbert was axed a few weeks ago.
