Jimmy Kimmel explains why Trump's 'war with Twitter' is 'obviously insane,' doomed to fail


"A lot of people are wondering which of the many changes we've made to our lives during this pandemic are going to carry over when things go back to normal," Jimmy Kimmel said on Thursday's Kimmel Live. "Will children still sit on Santa's lap at Christmas?" He explained why COVID-19 should definitely kill off the penny and maybe the nickel. "Meanwhile, this is what our penny-colored president is up to," Kimmel said. "While racial injustice is tearing this country apart, he is going to war with Twitter."
"Earlier this week, Twitter labeled one of Trump's many lies as potentially misleading," Kimmel explained. "He keeps claiming that vote-by-mail — even though he himself does it — will result in some kind of avalanche of anti-Trump voter fraud. It's part of his multi-pronged looks-like-I'm-gonna-lose-so-I'll-make-every-case-I-can-to-say-I-was-cheated campaign." In response, he signed an executive order that would limit legal protections for social media companies.
"This is crazy," Kimmel said. "This would be like if he declared war on Arby's because they said there were 550 calories in his curly fries. In a nutshell, the president is mad at an app on his phone and is using the power of his office to retaliate. This is what's on his mind as the death toll from a virus is over 100,000 now and people are rioting in the streets. He told reporters today he would shut down Twitter if his attorneys could find a way, because they're limiting his 'freedom of speech' — which is obviously insane. He is Mr. Twitter. And by the way, if he's so mad at Twitter, why doesn't he stop using it? He can't, because he loves it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Because "this has been another terrible week, and our government is terrible, and the world is terrible, and everything is terrible," Kimmel said, he did not want to end it on a down note. You can watch his alter-ego perform bad magic tricks below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Do smartphone bans in schools work?
The Explainer Trials in UK, New Zealand, France and the US found prohibition may be only part of the solution
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine