‘Next to go': Kimmel's bold move after Trump's latest attack

News.com.au

2 days ago

Jimmy Kimmel is officially fed up with Trump's second-term nonsense — and he has obtained Italian citizenship as a contingency plan.
The late-night host confirmed the move on The Sarah Silverman Podcast, revealing he secured went down the path of setting up an exit strategy in the wake of Donald Trump's 'unbelievable' re-election.
'I did get Italian citizenship,' Kimmel said.
'What's going on is as bad as you thought it was gonna be. It's so much worse - it's just unbelievable.
'I feel like it's probably even worse than he would like it to be.'
His comments come just weeks after Trump publicly celebrated the axing of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and not-so-subtly suggested Kimmel would be next.
'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.
'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He doubled down days later, adding: '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.'
Colbert responded by telling Trump to 'go f**k yourself'.
The Late Show will go off the air in May 2026 following a surprise announcement by broadcaster CBS.
The channel is part ofParamount,which is in the throes of an $US8 billion ($A12.3 billion) takeover that requires approval by the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission.
It pulled the plug three days after Colbert skewered CBS for settling a lawsuit with Trump.
He accused it of paying what he termed 'a big fat bribe' of $US16 million ($A24.6 million) to the president for what he called 'deceptive' editing of an interview with his 2024 election opponent, former vice president Kamala Harris.
Kimmel, a long-time critic of Trump, hasn't backed down.
On the podcast, he spoke about the importance of supporting those who've changed their minds about the former president, including previous backers like Joe Rogan.
'Now you see these clips of Joe Rogan saying, 'Why is he doing this? Why are you deporting people?' And people go, 'F**k you! You supported him.' I don't buy into that,' Kimmel said.
'The door has to stay open. If you want to change your mind, that's so hard to do.
'If you want to admit you were wrong, that is so hard and so rare to do. You are welcome.'
Italian news agency ANSA confirmed that Kimmel had acquired citizenship through his ancestral lineage.
Speaking at an Italian Republic Day event in Los Angeles in June, Kimmel shared more about his roots.
'I have just obtained citizenship, thanks to my beloved grandmother Edith, whose family came from Candida, in the province of Avellino,' he said.
'She used to repeat to me, 'You have the brain of a hamster'!'
His grandfather's family emigrated from the island of Ischia after an 1883 earthquake claimed most of their relatives.
And Kimmel's not alone - other stars are also eyeing an escape route since Trump's comeback.
Rosie O'Donnell relocated to Ireland in January, and Ellen DeGeneres recently confirmed she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have moved to the UK.
'It's clean,' DeGeneres said of their new home.
'Everything here is just better - the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.'
She also voiced concern about the future of LGBTQ+ rights in the US, adding that she and De Rossi may remarry in the UK if same-sex marriage is overturned.
Not everyone believes Kimmel is serious, and plenty online reactions have criticised his 'privileged' decision:
'Jimmy had to make a EUR 500,000 (minimum) investment in real estate or an Italian startup to do this… I think Democrats call this white privilege.'
'Oh, look at Jimmy Kimmel, securing his Italian citizenship like it's a backstage pass to a gelato festival... another Hollywood hero bravely retreating to a villa.'
'Enjoy that 50 per cent exit tax.'