Trump lashes out at ‘loser’ Jimmy Kimmel as late-night show host makes relentless jokes at his expense

Donald Trump has taken time out from his exhausting schedule of campaign rallies and legal appointments to attack Jimmy Kimmel, branding the late-night talk show host a “loser”.

Writing on Truth Social on Thursday evening, the Republican presidential front-runner said of ABC, Mr Kimmel’s employers: “They could get a far more talented person, who would also get better Ratings, for 5 per cent of what they are paying this Loser!”

The post came in response to a The Los Angeles Times interview with Mr Kimmel, in which he hinted at his possible retirement.

“I think this is my final contract. I hate to even say it, because everyone’s laughing at me now – each time I think that, and then it turns out to not be the case,” he said.

His possible retirement appears to be welcome news to Mr Trump, given the comedian regularly makes fun of him in the opening monologue of his weeknight show.

Following Mr Trump’s Truth Social post, Mr Kimmel wasted no time in responding in the best way he knows how: by once again mocking him on Thursday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Mr Kimmel mockingly expressed delight that he had “caught the attention of America’s most famous tangerine”.

“I got to say that is a hell of a way to find out you’re not going be somebody’s running mate!” he joked.

“He has no idea how delighted I am by something like this. I’m going to try to enjoy it, because he probably won’t be able to do this when they take away his phone in prison, so I’m going to really, like, soak it in.”

The comedian has been on particularly ruthless form of late, ridiculing Mr Trump about everything from his appeal for presidential immunity to his new line of golden high-top sneakers and shortlist of potential running mates.

But Mr Trump is not the only conservative politician he has angered: disgraced former congressman George Santos announced last week that he is suing the host for allegedly tricking him into making Cameo video messages that were then played on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“He’s being represented by the prestigious law firm of Pot, Kettle and Black,” Mr Kimmel quipped of the man who was run out of Congress on a rail after a string of lies about his private life and professional qualifications came to light.

As for Mr Trump, Thursday’s post served as a welcome throwback to his best days on social media, when he used to regularly issue gossipy tweets about celebrities, famously weighing in on Kristen Stewart’s relationship with Robert Pattinson, labelling Bette Midler a “washed-up psycho” or picking fights with the likes of Rosie O’Donnell, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Debra Messing.

But, later on Thursday, the Republican nominee-presumptive appeared to show signs that his schedule was getting all too much for him.

Speaking to an audience of Christian broadcasters in Nashville, Tennessee, Mr Trump launched into a wild and incoherent address littered with mistakes and where he struggled to say the word “evangelical”.