Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late-Night TV, Mocks Trump
The host's first show back after a summer hiatus marked the 4,000th episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
(Image credit: ABC)
Photograph: Cinema Blend (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday after a summer hiatus.
- The episode was the 4,000th broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
- Kimmel's monologue included jokes about President Donald Trump, the war with Iran, and the Reflecting Pool.
- He referenced $20 million spent on repairs to the Reflecting Pool.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 16 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 4 of the 20 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
68/100
Craft
87/100
Hype
30/100
20 sources · methodology
Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday, marking the 4,000th episode of his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The host had been on a summer hiatus. His monologue addressed current events and President Donald Trump.
Disagreement on Reflecting Pool repairs
CinemaBlend reported that Kimmel quoted $20 million spent on the Reflecting Pool repairs. HuffPost and RollingStone stated Kimmel asked if the president had spent $20 million and could not get a pool cleaned. Breitbart mentioned Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool puns but did not specify a cost.
Omissions
None of the left-rated digests mention the 4,000th episode milestone. None of the centre-rated digests mention the 4,000th episode milestone, except for CinemaBlend which noted it. The right-rated digest does not mention the 4,000th episode milestone.
Coverage settled. We checked this 8 times and stopped on 14 Sept 2026, 23:45. The figures above are what it finished at.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
8 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports focused on Jimmy Kimmel's jokes about Donald Trump and his summer accomplishments. HuffPost and RollingStone highlighted Kimmel's comparison of his own summer to Trump's, stating, "We both accomplished nothing all summer long." Mashable noted Kimmel recapped Trump's summer with a montage of his statements. Mediaite also reported on Kimmel's comparison of their summers, quoting "We both accomplished nothing."
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports highlighted Jimmy Kimmel's return and his jokes targeting Donald Trump. RadarOnline stated Kimmel "trashed" Trump during his first episode back. Dailymail.com reported Kimmel launched a "tirade" against Trump. Internewscast noted Kimmel "rips Trump" in his first show back. CinemaBlend mentioned Kimmel mocked Trump, referencing the war with Iran and the Reflecting Pool algae issue, and also noted the 4,000th episode milestone.
Right
4 rated outlets
- The right-rated digests reported Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night show after a hiatus and immediately criticised Donald Trump. They noted this occurred after news emerged that his ABC contract might not be renewed.
- Breitbart mentioned Kimmel made jokes about Trump's hair and appearance, and also targeted Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr and West Wing aide Natalie Harp. The Toronto Sun and TrendingPolitics also reported Kimmel's criticisms of Trump.
- TrendingPolitics and News Addicts stated Kimmel did not address the report about his contract during the show. None of the digests mentioned the specific jokes about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool or the Iran War.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late-Night TV, Mocks Trump?
- Of the 16 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 47% are rated left, 29% are rated centre, 24% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 20. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late-Night TV, Mocks Trump left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 16 rated outlets on this story, 47% are rated left, 29% are rated centre, 24% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late-Night TV, Mocks Trump biased?
- Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late-Night TV, Mocks Trump is one event reported by 20 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late-Night TV, Mocks Trump?
- 20 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- When did Jimmy Kimmel return to television?
- Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday after a summer hiatus. This marked his first show back after a break of approximately three months.
- What milestone did Jimmy Kimmel Live! reach?
- The episode on Tuesday marked the 4,000th broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. This was noted by the host during his monologue.
- What did Jimmy Kimmel joke about?
- Jimmy Kimmel's monologue included jokes about President Donald Trump, the ongoing war with Iran, and the repairs to the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. He also compared his summer break to Trump's.
- How much was spent on the Reflecting Pool repairs?
- Jimmy Kimmel referenced $20 million that was spent on repairs to the Reflecting Pool. He questioned whether the president could not get the pool cleaned despite this expenditure.
Read it at the source
20 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
8- Jimmy Kimmel returns from summer break with fresh jabs at Trump: ‘We both accomplished nothing’ (opens nj in a new tab)
- Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump in first monologue after report of his show ending (opens USA Today in a new tab)
- Jimmy Kimmel defies federal regulator threats on 4000th episode (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel recaps Trump's summer with a montage of the weirdest things he's said (opens Mashable in a new tab)
- Jimmy Kimmel Taunts ‘Crazier Than Ever’ Trump With 1 Vicious Reality Check (opens HuffPost in a new tab)
- Jimmy Kimmel Compares His Summer Break to Trump’s: ‘We Both Accomplished Nothing’ (opens RollingStone in a new tab)
RollingStone — is RollingStone biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel Returns From Break to Size Up Trump’s Summer: ‘We Both Accomplished Nothing’ (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- Trump's summer of sabotage (opens Axios in a new tab)
Centre
4- Jimmy Kimmel Takes a Swipe at Donald Trump Amid Axing Rumors (opens Reality Tea in a new tab)
Reality Tea — is Reality Tea biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel Brought Up Trump In His Late Night Return, But There’s One Other Stat That Shook Me (opens Cinema Blend in a new tab)
Cinema Blend — is Cinema Blend biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Jimmy Kimmel Trashes Donald Trump During First Episode After Summer Break Amid Claims His Late-Night Show Set for Axe (opens RadarOnline in a new tab)
RadarOnline — is RadarOnline biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel Rips Trump in Fiery First Show Back (opens Internewscast in a new tab)
Internewscast — is Internewscast biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
4- Jimmy Kimmel blasts Trump amid report of his show ending (opens Toronto Sun in a new tab)
Toronto Sun — is Toronto Sun biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Kimmel Criticizes Trump Following ABC Contract Decision (opens News Addicts in a new tab)
News Addicts — is News Addicts biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel Lashes Out At Trump After ABC Declined To Renew His Contract (opens TrendingPolitics in a new tab)
TrendingPolitics — is TrendingPolitics biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel Cracks Fat Jokes, Natalie Harp Barbs in Trump-Obsessed Late-Night Return (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
Not rated
4- Jimmy Kimmel Returns To TV: First Guests Revealed (opens gg2.net in a new tab)
- Jimmy Kimmel Rips Into Trump During Late Night Return: 'He's Crazier Than Ever' (opens TV Insider in a new tab)
TV Insider — is TV Insider biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel launches tirade against Trump in first episode back (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Kimmel Blasts Trump in Fiery Return to Late Night (opens NewsFinale in a new tab)
NewsFinale — is NewsFinale biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
