Rantz: Donald Trump just saved Jimmy Kimmel’s flailing career—and the Left doesn’t want you to know it

It’s ironic that Jimmy Kimmel, a late-night host whose ratings have been circling the drain for years, just got the biggest gift of his career—and it came from President Donald Trump.

No, Trump didn’t suspend him. Despite what the hysterical headlines suggest, that decision came from advertisers, distributors, and Kimmel’s own network. But the second Trump’s name got dragged into the storyline, the left had its perfect narrative: Kimmel as a free-speech martyr standing bravely against a supposed authoritarian president. And that’s how he’ll play it when he returns to host his late night show on Tuesday.

The truth is Kimmel was already floundering. His monologues have become predictable—smearing conservatives, mocking Christians, and trafficking in smug sneers rather than actual comedy. His ratings reflected it. For most viewers, he stopped being funny a long time ago. But now, thanks to the left-wing media’s desperation to make Trump the villain in every story, Kimmel is about to enjoy a ratings bump he hasn’t earned.

Jimmy Kimmel the Martyr

The same outlets that once ignored Kimmel’s irrelevance will now amplify his phony victimhood. They’ll frame him as if he were personally silenced by Trump’s heavy hand, ignoring the actual reporting that shows advertisers and executives made the call. They’ll present him as brave for returning to air, all while he likely doubles down on the very kind of lies that got him in trouble in the first place.

Don’t forget what brought us here. It was his disgusting smear of the MAGA movement, claiming the assassination of Charlie Kirk was committed by a Trump supporter. That wasn’t just a bad joke. It wasn’t a joke at all. It was a malicious lie, a slander against millions of Americans who had nothing to do with the tragedy. Instead of apologizing, Kimmel postured as if he were the one under attack. Now, the media will happily rewrite history to protect him.

But here’s the rub: martyrdom is a tricky gig. The act may win him temporary sympathy, but eventually viewers will tune out again when they realize Kimmel has nothing new to say. If he uses this moment to continue spouting lazy anti-Trump monologues, he’ll squander the bump as quickly as he got it. He’ll be right back to irrelevance.

Can Jimmy Kimmel surprise us?

Still, there’s a sliver of hope—however unlikely—that Kimmel might surprise us.

He could take responsibility. He could admit what he said was reckless and dishonest. He could acknowledge that while comedy has always punched up and down, outright lying crosses the line. An apology wouldn’t just show humility, but would prove that he takes seriously the role of someone with a national platform.

I don’t think Kimmel will apologize. He’ll keep doing what he does best—mocking conservatives, basking in media praise, and pretending Trump is pulling the strings. He will get more left-wing accolades for playing victim. That act may work for a while, but in the end, it’s Trump—ironically, inevitably—who just gave Jimmy Kimmel the one thing his show desperately needed: relevance.

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