Donald Trump doesn’t just complain about late-night comedians. He regularly demands they be fired.
Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Bill Maher, and even Jimmy Fallon have all found themselves on the receiving end of the president’s taunts at rallies and on Truth Social, where he’s blasted them as “untalented” hosts with terrible ratings who shouldn’t be on television at all.
In the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension last fall and Stephen Colbert’s impending departure from CBS, the question of whether more of Trump’s loudest late-night critics could disappear from the airwaves isn’t theoretical.
In fact, with HBO in line to fall under the control of Trump ally David Ellison through Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, speculation that John Oliver and Bill Maher’s HBO shows could be living on borrowed time quickly became a storyline in media circles.
Both Oliver and Maher have acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation, with Oliver joking, “How the f*ck do I get out of this?”
But there are at least two reasons to believe Last Week Tonight and Real Time with Bill Maher have less to worry about than some assume.
First, since Ellison finalized his purchase of Paramount last summer, its two flagship Comedy Central franchises, The Daily Show and South Park, have pummeled the President more aggressively than ever.
No corporate overlords appear to be holding back Jon Stewart. “This is Trump’s America,” he lamented at the start of military action in Iran. “We’re all just along for the ride in a war with no clear purpose, no end in sight. It’s all just at the whims of Donald Trump.”
Stewart regularly devotes long stretches of The Daily Show to blistering critiques of Trump and the modern Republican Party. But even those monologues pale next to the satire unleashed by South Park in two mini-seasons produced under Ellison’s watch.
Neither Maher nor Oliver has delivered punchlines quite as extreme as the animated version of Donald Trump on South Park, which has depicted the President impregnating Satan, enjoying a romantic affair with J.D. Vance, and wandering naked through the desert with a talking micropenis.
Instead of being punished for his weekly critiques, Stewart was rewarded with a new contract in November. “Jon Stewart continues to elevate the genre he created,” Comedy Central chief Ari Pearce said at the time.
Meanwhile, South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker signed a new $1.5 billion deal around the same time Ellison finalized the Paramount purchase—committing to produce 50 additional episodes through 2030. If recent seasons are any indication, Trump will remain a frequent target.
The second reason Oliver and Maher may have little to fear is Trump himself. For all his complaints about late-night comedians, the President clearly relishes his battles with them.
They’re ideal political foils—high-profile targets who rile up his base without any real-world consequences. Over the past six months alone, the President has repeatedly aimed his ALL-CAPS flamethrower at multiple late-night comedians, “threatening” the livelihoods of figures such as…
Jimmy Kimmel: “Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air? Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage. Get the bum off the air!!!”
Seth Meyers: “NBC’s Seth Meyers is suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). He was viewed last night in an uncontrollable rage, likely due to the fact that his ‘show’ is a Ratings DISASTER. Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent, and NBC should fire him, IMMEDIATELY!”
And maybe-in-the-crosshairs Bill Maher: “His Television Ratings are so low that nobody will learn about his various Fake News statements about me. He is no different than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert.”
It’s political theater, with Trump cast as the star. For a president who obsesses over ratings, it’s easy to imagine him pointing out that Trump-centric sketches are among SNL’s most-viewed on YouTube this season.
Ironically, Trump may end up missing the nightly sparring partner Stephen Colbert provided—or at least the chance to fire back insults like rival comics trading barbs on a Friars Club dais.
Fire John Oliver and Bill Maher? Don’t bet on it. Despite speculation surrounding media mergers and political pressure, the evidence so far suggests HBO’s late-night stars aren’t going anywhere.
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My follow-up question is: Besides Reddit, where is the outrage from the left about wanting Greg Gutfield off the air?
This merger is the greatest hoax of all time. You stupid whiny democrats take the bait every single time. You’re children who still believe in Santa (oh wait you’re all celebrate Hanukkah). This industry is burning down fast because it has no audience under 70. The cuts have to come eventually and they are using this ‘hostile takeover ‘ as the excuse because you boomers can’t handle financial realities.
This is an Arby’s!
Did not vote for Donald Trump and never will. Look at his history-not very savory Don’t care what he thinks Hopefully he will be out of office soon.
Whatever you say! Of course, none of ya have any intelligence or life experience to know what the fuck you’re talking about!
But Ellison won’t fire Bunghole Bill Maher, because he sees him as a useful idiot in going after Democrats! Not to mention Maher’s a dumbfuck that doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about, most of the time!