Jimmy Kimmel is once again taking aim at President Donald Trump, this time over a viral White House post that seemingly cast the President as the next James Bond. The late-night host reignited his long-running feud with Trump during Monday night’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” mocking the president after social media lit up over a stylized “007” image shared by the White House.
Why Donald Trump Was Suddenly Being Compared To James Bond
The controversy began after Nina Gold, the casting director helping search for the next James Bond, discussed what qualities the future 007 actor should bring to the iconic franchise during an appearance at Cannes. Gold reportedly said the next Bond should be committed to multiple films and “ooze sex appeal.”
Shortly after, the White House appeared to jump into the conversation, posting an edited image of Trump holding a gun alongside the “007” logo and the slogan “Make America Great Again.” The image quickly sparked backlash and confusion online.
Jimmy Kimmel Didn’t Hold Back During Monologue
Kimmel wasted no time turning the moment into comedy during his Monday night monologue. “Grab ’em by the Octopussy. We got a new James Bond in town,” Kimmel joked, referencing both the 1983 Bond film “Octopussy” and Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood remarks.
The late-night host continued poking fun at Trump’s appearance and recent online posts. “Trump also posted about how young he looks,” Kimmel said. “He said, ‘President Trump ages in reverse.’”
Kimmel then added, “Like, you’re not aging in reverse. Wearing diapers does not mean you’re aging in reverse.” He later landed another jab, saying, “I think 007 is his approval rating right now.”
Kimmel also criticized Trump’s online priorities amid ongoing political tensions and rising costs. “Imagine being a very unpopular president in the middle of a very unpopular war. The cost of everything is skyrocketing. Gas is very expensive,” he said. “And you are spending your time posting online about how hot you are, how you captured an alien and how you should be the next James Bond.”
A New James Bond Is Officially On The Way
Kimmel’s jokes come as the search for the next James Bond has officially begun. Earlier this week, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed casting for the iconic role is now underway following the Broccoli family’s decision to step back from creative control of the franchise in February 2025.
“The search for the next James Bond is underway,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”
The next “Bond” film will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, though no casting announcements have been made.
Jimmy Kimmel And Donald Trump’s Feud Goes Way Back
Kimmel has made Trump and his administration frequent targets of his comedy for years, with the pair’s public feud repeatedly escalating.
The tension intensified in 2025 following a controversial monologue about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, during which Kimmel criticized what he called the “MAGA gang” and compared Trump’s reaction to “a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
After Kimmel delivered the fiery monologue, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly condemned the comedian’s remarks. Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments “the sickest conduct possible” and pushed for consequences.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said during an appearance on The Benny Show, a conservative podcast. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Just hours later, Nexstar Media, one of the largest television station owners in the country, announced it would no longer air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “for the foreseeable future,” but that didn’t last long.
Jimmy Kimmel And Donald Trump’s Feud Is Far From Over
Less than a week later, ABC confirmed that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return to the air on September 23, 2025. “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” the statement read.
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” the statement continued. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Since then, Kimmel and Trump have continued their long-running public feud, with the late-night host frequently taking aim at the president during his monologues while Trump continues to fire back online.