In true Trump fashion, the former president reportedly, tried to use the full weight of the United States Department of Justice to go after one of his biggest enemies: late-night comedians.
According to a frightening Rolling Stone report, Trump allegedly wanted the DOJ to punish the likes of Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert for what he saw as illegal campaign contributions to the Democrats—all because they made fun of him on TV.
Yes, you read that right. Trump was apparently convinced that jokes amounted to “illegal campaign contributions.”
During his first term, Trump tried—and failed—to get officials to bend campaign finance laws and the federal equal-time rule to silence televised satire. Luckily, DOJ officials had better things to do than go after comedians.
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But according to Rolling Stone, Trump’s obsession with cracking down on political humor could become a dangerous reality if he gets another shot at the presidency. With his loyalists clearing out anyone who might push back, late-night hosts could be in for more than just punchlines—they could be in real legal trouble.
Sound extreme?
It is.
“There are no guardrails,” warns Yale scholar Jason Stanley, predicting a far more unhinged Trump in a second term. And while despots around the world have always targeted satire, an American president waging war on late-night jokes? That’s a new one.
It’s just the latest example of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies. If he gets a second term, the stage could be set for a full-on crackdown on free speech—starting with your favorite comedians.
What’s next? Comedians on trial for cracking jokes?
And if Trump does manage to pull it off, Jimmy Kimmel is already locked and loaded. The late-night host has vowed to make Trump’s second term a comedy nightmare, promising to dial up the trolling and turn every Trump slip-up into fodder for relentless mockery. Kimmel isn’t just going after the jokes—he’s aiming for a full-blown comedic takedown. Get ready for the rematch.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
