'He's a Loser!': Donald Trump Hits Back at Jimmy Kimmel for Mocking Markwayne Mullin With 'Plumber' Jab

In a phone interview on Fox News' The Five on Thursday, March 26, President Donald Trump called late-night host Jimmy Kimmel a "loser" and argued he "should be canned.”

The attack was a response to Kimmel's recent monologue mocking the credentials of the newly confirmed Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin.

During the interview, the president defended Mullin and launched several insults at the comedian.

"He's a loser. He gets no ratings. None. He's got no talent. He's got Trump Derangement Syndrome ... Markwayne is fantastic ... Everybody loves him, and I think he's gonna do a fantastic job," the 79-year-old POTUS said.

As of March, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is experiencing a strong ratings period, currently ranking as the No. 1 late-night show in the key Adults 18-49 demographic for three consecutive weeks.

Trump praised Mullin's background as a former plumber, which Kimmel had used as punchlines, much to the dismay of pearl-clutching Republicans who blasted the comments as elitist.

The elitist comments come as Trump has assembled what is widely considered the wealthiest administration in U.S. history. His cabinet and top-level transition team are estimated to have a combined net worth exceeding $470 billion, largely driven by the inclusion of several billionaires.

Trump highlighted that Mullin took over his parents' plumbing company and made it "very, very successful.”

He referred to Mullin as "country smart" and a "very smart guy" that "everybody loves.”

Dismissing Kimmel's "low-level MMA" jab, Trump called Mullin a "very good fighter" who faced "rough cookies.”

The feud was reignited after Kimmel's March 24 monologue, where he questioned having "a plumber protecting us from terrorism now" and compared Mullin to Super Mario.

Kimmel later doubled down on his comments, clarifying that he wasn't upset that the DHS head used to be a plumber, but rather that he "isn't still a plumber," maintaining his critique of Mullin's qualifications for a national security role.

"Trump's got a whole new generation of thinkers lined up, including his newly confirmed Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne ‘Chuck Mike Bruce Dave’ Melon — Mullin. Maybe melon's better," Kimmel said in his Tuesday, March 24, monologue. "He's the now former senator of Oklahoma. Before he was elected to the Senate, Markwayne Mullin was a low-level MMA fighter and a plumber. That's right. We have a plumber protecting us from terrorism now. It worked for Super Mario. Why not Markwayne?"

"But honestly — I mean, if Trump is going to keep picking these unqualified people to run the department, why not have more fun with it? I mean, next time, instead of Markwayne, how about Lil Wayne for Homeland Security? At least we can get a concert out of it, right?" he quipped.