Jimmy Kimmel appears to be playing with fire after jibing President Donald Trump with an invitation to compete on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The 57-year-old, who has been serving as the host since 2020, told Extra he’d like to see exactly ‘how much the genius’ really knows.
Celebrity contestants get their intelligence tested as they’re quizzed on a variety of topics in the hopes of winning $1M for a charity of their choosing.
Kimmel’s barbed comments about Trump come after the US President claimed he and Jimmy Fallon could be ‘next’ to have their shows cancelled after news that the Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026.
Asked about his dream contestant, Kimmel told the outlet: ‘Boy, woundn’t it be fun to put Donald Trump in that hot seat, see how much that genius knows?
‘I would say, “Please, have a seat. I would love to — you know what? Any time you spend on a game show is another hour you’re not being president, so I’m in support of that.”‘
Jimmy Kimmel has revealed the blistering reason he wants Donald Trump to compete on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Asked about his dream contestant, Jimmy told the outlet: ‘Boy, wound’t it be fun to put Donald Trump in that hot seat, see how much that genius knows?
Kimmel – a vocal critic of the president – admitted he has a lot of respect for any celebrity who does take part.
He added: ‘I admire anybody that does sit down and come on the show because they’re really risking their reputation.’
Meanwhile, Trump wrote on his own Truth Social platform recently: ‘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, Fallon will be gone.
‘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! (sic)’
In response, Kimmel posted on Instagram: ‘I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret.’
His contract for Jimmy Kimmel Live! – which airs on ABC – is set to expire in 2026.
Meanwhile, Colbert has questioned CBS’ statement claiming the decision to end the show was a ‘purely a financial decision’ move.
The 57-year-old, who has been serving as host since 2020, told Extra he’d like to see exactly ‘how much the genius’ really knows
Celebrity contestants get their intelligence tested as they’re quizzed on a variety of topics in the hopes of winning $1M for a charity of their choosing
Kimmel’s comments about Trump come after the US President claimed he and Jimmy Fallon could be ‘next’ to have their shows cancelled after news that the Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026; Kimmel and Colbert in 2024
His contract for Jimmy Kimmel Live! – which airs on ABC – is set to expire in 2026; Kimmel in May
He asked: ‘How could it be purely be a financial decision if The Late Show is No. 1 in ratings?’
The announcement his show was ending came after the network’s parent company Paramount Global settled a $16 million lawsuit with Trump after he alleged Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview was deceptively edited.
On his show, following the settlement, Colbert described the move as a ‘big, fat bribe’ as Paramount awaits FDA approval for its merger with Skydance.
