Jimmy Kimmel Obtains Italian Citizenship as Trump Targets Late Night Hosts

Should Jimmy Kimmel’s feud with President Donald Trump go further south, the late night host has an exit strategy in place. During a recent appearance on The Sarah Silverman Podcast, Kimmel confirmed he has obtained Italian citizenship while discussing the current state of affairs.

The revelation came after Silverman mentioned she knew “a lot of people” thinking of getting dual citizenship as a backup plan. Kimmel shared that he was recently able to join that club before commenting on how Trump’s second term in office is “as bad as you thought it was gonna be.”

After Silverman stated her opinion that it was actually “way worse,” Kimmel continued, “It’s so much worse, it’s just unbelievable. I feel like it’s probably even worse than he would like it to be.”

Then, the discussion turned to celebrities like Joe Rogan expressing regret over some of Trump’s policies, with Kimmel saying he doesn’t ascribe to the “fuck you, you supported him” mentality.

“The door needs to stay open. If you wanna change your mind, that’s so hard to do,” he said. “If you want to admit you were wrong, that’s hard and so rare to do, you are welcome.”

Watch the full podcast episode below. The relevant part of the conversation begins around the 33-minute mark.

Kimmel has frequently criticized Trump during monologues and other jokes on Jimmy Kimmel Live! throughout both of his presidencies. Meanwhile, Trump speculated, “Jimmy Kimmel is next” after CBS announced it was ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026.

In a press conference last week, Trump doubled down on the claim while also mentioning Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon: “Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They’re next. They’re going to be going. I hear they’re going to be going. I don’t know, but I would imagine because they’d get — you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon.”

During Italian Republic Day in Los Angeles this past June, Kimmel announced he had obtained his Italian citizenship, as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA. He added that he was able to get it “thanks to my beloved grandmother Edith, whose family came from Candida, in the province of Avellino.”

While Kimmel has not mentioned any immediate plans to leave the country, his dual citizenship provides him with the means to permanently relocate and follow in the footsteps of Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell should he wish.

Kimmel’s current contract for Jimmy Kimmel Live! expires in 2026.

Editor’s Note: Revisit Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller’s essay on the twilight of late night TV.