JD Vance Piles On: “Kimmel Wasn’t Funny, His Ratings Were in the Toilet”

The storm swirling around Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension just found a new voice — and this time it came from Capitol Hill.

Senator JD Vance, never shy about weighing in on cultural battles, has joined the growing chorus of voices blasting Kimmel’s legacy, his comedy, and even his claim to free speech. And the words Vance chose were anything but soft.

“Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t funny, his ratings were in the toilet, and his advertisers were revolting,” Vance wrote.

With that, another log was thrown on the fire consuming late-night television’s most embattled host.

A Senator Steps Into the Spotlight

For years, Kimmel has been a fixture of America’s cultural landscape — the man behind countless monologues, celebrity interviews, and viral sketches. But the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! by ABC has turned the once-beloved host into a lightning rod for controversy.

And while critics in media circles and rival entertainers have already taken their shots, Vance’s comments elevated the clash to a new level. A sitting U.S. senator calling a late-night host’s career a failure isn’t just shade. It’s spectacle.

Vance’s comments hit in two waves.

First came the blunt dismissal: Kimmel wasn’t funny, his show was collapsing, and the business side of television had already abandoned him.

Then came the second blow: nostalgia soured.

“There was a point where I’d watch his show nearly every night,” Vance admitted. “He’s a genuinely talented guy, but like so much good and funny in the world the woke thing destroyed it.”

In one swipe, Vance acknowledged Kimmel’s past talent while framing his present as ruin.

The Ratings Debate

At the heart of Vance’s takedown is a claim many have whispered: Kimmel’s ratings weren’t what they once were.

It’s true that late-night has struggled across the board in the streaming era. Viewership that once hovered in the millions for network hosts has bled away to Netflix specials, TikTok clips, and podcasts. Kimmel wasn’t alone in facing that slide — Fallon, Colbert, and Meyers have all felt the pressure.

But Vance’s phrasing — “ratings in the toilet” — wasn’t statistical analysis. It was humiliation. It was political theater designed to take Kimmel’s suspension and frame it not as a corporate decision, but as an overdue verdict from the audience itself.

The “Free Speech” Clash

Perhaps the sharpest edge of Vance’s remarks came when he addressed the backlash from Kimmel’s supporters, who have framed his suspension as an attack on free speech.

“The bellyaching from the left over ‘free speech’ after the Biden years fools precisely no one,” Vance wrote.

Translation: you can’t cry foul about free expression if you cheered while others were muzzled.

It was a classic Vance move — taking a cultural flashpoint and turning it into a broader critique of hypocrisy. And in the process, he positioned Kimmel not as a comedian in exile, but as a symbol of double standards.

Kimmel’s Silence

So far, Jimmy Kimmel himself has not responded directly to Vance’s attacks. The host, who once thrived on skewering politicians in his opening monologues, now finds himself the butt of their jokes instead.

For years, Kimmel mocked Washington from the safety of Hollywood. Now, Washington is mocking him back, with senators like Vance putting his name in headlines not for comedy, but for collapse.

The silence is deafening. And it leaves the stage wide open for critics to keep talking.

Fans vs. Foes

The clash over Kimmel’s suspension has divided audiences sharply.

Supporters describe him as a brave comedian punished for refusing to toe the line. They argue that suspending a late-night host over words sets a chilling precedent, and they’ve rallied to his defense.

Critics, however, insist Kimmel brought it on himself. They argue his comedy became more lecturing than laughing, more agenda-driven than audience-driven. For them, Vance’s takedown felt like vindication.

The divide is so stark that even the same clip — Kimmel’s final controversial remarks — is being shared online with wildly different captions. To some, he’s a martyr. To others, a punchline.

The Late-Night Crisis

Behind all the drama lies a bigger question: what is happening to late-night TV itself?

Once the crown jewel of network entertainment, the format has struggled to survive in an era of fractured attention spans and endless alternatives. The monologue, once America’s nightly ritual, now competes with viral TikToks and YouTube sketches created for a fraction of the cost.

Kimmel’s suspension may be shocking, but it’s also symbolic. If even a veteran with decades of fame and connections can be pulled off the air, what does that say about the future of the genre?

Vance’s comments, harsh as they were, tapped into that insecurity. By framing Kimmel’s decline as inevitable, he cast doubt on the entire late-night institution.

The Power Play

Why did Vance strike now? Analysts point to a mix of timing and symbolism.

Kimmel, suspended and silent, was a ripe target. Attacking him now carried little risk of immediate rebuttal, while guaranteeing headlines. And beyond personal criticism, Vance’s remarks positioned him as a cultural warrior — a politician willing to take aim not just at policy opponents, but at the entertainment industry itself.

In an age where culture often shapes politics as much as legislation, that kind of play isn’t trivial. It’s strategy.

What Comes Next

For Jimmy Kimmel, the path forward is unclear. Negotiations with Disney executives have reportedly begun, but whether they lead to reinstatement or permanent exile remains to be seen.

For JD Vance, the rewards of his takedown are already clear. His comments dominated headlines, spread across social platforms, and kept his name in the center of America’s cultural clash.

For late-night television, the storm continues. Every suspension, every feud, every quote like Vance’s chips away at the format’s once-unshakable dominance.

Conclusion: A Comedian in Exile, A Senator in the Spotlight

In the end, JD Vance’s remarks about Jimmy Kimmel were more than insults. They were the latest salvo in America’s ongoing culture wars — a reminder that in today’s world, no stage is safe from politics, and no comedian is beyond critique.

“Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t funny, his ratings were in the toilet, and his advertisers were revolting,” Vance said.

It was blunt. It was brutal. And it guaranteed that the debate over Kimmel’s suspension won’t fade anytime soon.

Because whether you see Kimmel as a victim of censorship or the author of his own downfall, one thing is certain: his name remains headline gold.

And JD Vance just proved it.