NEWSJimmy Kimmel Turns Donald Trump’s Empty-Seat Obsession Into More Late-Night Ammunition: 'That's What Bothers Him?'
Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trump after the president criticized his jokes about empty rally seats.
Oct. 17 2026, Published 12:46 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump has endured jokes about his policies, legal controversies and conduct, but Jimmy Kimmel discovered one subject capable of provoking a rally-stage response: empty seats.
Trump attacked the late-night host during a campaign appearance in Clarksville, Tenn., after Kimmel described his recent rallies as “sparsely attended.”
“This loser, Jimmy Kimmel. What a loser,” Trump said.
Donald Trump Cannot Let the Empty Seats Go
Donald Trump responded to Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks during a campaign appearance in Clarksville, Tenn.
“I had just left Texas or somewhere. The place is packed. And maybe it was Ohio. The place is packed,” Trump told the crowd.
“He said Donald Trump had... ‘a sparsely attended’ — I said, ‘Sparsely attended?’” he continued, before insisting thousands of people had been unable to enter one event and calling his critics “crooked people.”
“Of all the things I said about him last week, of all the many moronic and criminal words and deeds I detailed, that’s what bothers him?” Kimmel asked. “Me pointing out the fact that his rallies have empty seats?”
“Well, in that case, let’s do it again!” he declared.
Jimmy Kimmel Brings the Empty-Seat Receipts
Donald Trump called Jimmy Kimmel a 'loser' after the comedian described his rallies as sparsely attended.
“There were many empty seats at the rally. So many empty seats,” Kimmel said. “There were even empty seats at the rally where he complained about me saying he had empty seats at the rally.”
Trump has argued that open seats remain in upper sections because supporters move closer to the stage.
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Jimmy Kimmel questioned why Donald Trump focused on his comments about empty seats instead of his other criticisms.
“Isn’t it interesting that that never happens at a Lakers game?” Kimmel replied.
The host then displayed an image from Trump’s Alabama rally, which he described as “much like Trump’s cognitive function, not at full capacity.”
A Feud That Fuels Both Brands
Public relations expert Amore Philip explained that the ongoing feud between Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump generated publicity for both figures.
“Feuds between late-night hosts and presidents stick because both sides win the attention economy,” said Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.
“The president gets to rally his base against a familiar Hollywood villain, and the host gets a ratings bump plus a week of clips that travel far beyond his own audience,” she explained. “A joke stops being a joke the moment it becomes a talking point, and both camps know it.”
Trump has repeatedly called for Kimmel to be fired, adding pressure on the host’s network and its business partners.
“When political leaders start calling out hosts by name, networks, advertisers and affiliates feel the heat,” Philip said.
“Comedy has always been a pressure valve for politics,” she added. “The real test is whether the business around the host holds its nerve as well as the host does.”
