Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert may’ve had an ulterior motive with their late night crossover Tuesday evening.
The comedian kicked off the second night of his “Brooklyn Week” by happily announcing that his late night peer from CBS would be joining him as a guest — and that he’d “simultaneously” be appearing on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
Why? Well, as Kimmel put it bluntly, “We thought it might be a fun way to drive the president nuts. So, I’m excited that Stephen is here.”
Kimmel further joked that with Colbert as a guest, Tuesday night’s episode was “the show the FCC doesn’t want you to see.”
Kimmel was, of course, referring to the recent drama plaguing late night television, including Colbert’s cancellation back in July and Kimmel’s multi-day suspension earlier this month. Trump has been vocal about his dislike for the hosts, calling both Colbert and Kimmel talentless on separate occasions.
Though “The Late Show” is set to end its run in May 2026, Kimmel said there was power in “public pressure,” sharing a photo of a California freeway with a banner that called for Colbert’s show to be saved.
He added, “The people of L.A. and New York have spoken.”
Before wrapping up his monologue, Kimmel had another late night legend appear on his show, as Seth Meyers did a cameo alongside brother Josh Meyers, who portrayed Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom in one bit.
Colbert also shouted out Kimmel in his opening monologue Tuesday night, where he shared, “We’ve got a great show for you tonight … When we come back, it’s our friend Jimmy Kimmel.”
Later on in the episodes, Colbert and Kimmel both gave their first in-depth interviews about their respective late night sagas, with Colbert opening up about how he broke the news to his staff and Kimmel sharing how he found out he was being pulled from the air. Watch the clips below.
The crossover between Kimmel and Colbert, as well as Meyers, was teased earlier in the day on Instagram, when the trio posed for the picture and wrote, “Hi Donald!”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” air weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and CBS, respectively.
