Jimmy Kimmel Shades VP J.D. Vance After His Return to Broadcast Television

30 September 2025

Jimmy Kimmel on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'. Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty

After a brief hiatus from the airwaves, Jimmy Kimmel roared back on the national stage during a Brooklyn taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a sharp-edged opening monologue aimed squarely at Vice President J.D. Vance, calling him “Vice President Maybelline” and mocking his recent remarks about the show’s suspension and ratings. The broadcast marked only the second time the late-night program appeared on all U.S. stations since Disney suspended it in mid-September, though some networks like Nexstar and Sinclair had continued to preempt it.

Kimmel did not hold back as he took his reins on stage at the Howard Gilman Opera House. He addressed Vance’s earlier attempt to write off claims that the show’s removal from some stations had to do with ratings or critics rather than political interference. Kimmel countered by questioning Vance’s credibility and poking fun at his accusations, asking for evidence that the FCC chair or others had orchestrated the suspension when, in fact, the show is now airing broadly again.

At one point, Kimmel turned directly to Vance, taunting him with a nickname and reminding him of who currently controls the narrative. “We’re back on all the stations at every home, every bar, every strip club and every prison in America,” he declared, underscoring the show’s wide reach despite past attempts to silence it.

Vance, in a Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham, had asserted that Kimmel’s removal from certain outlets was due to poor ratings or lack of advertiser support. He suggested the decision had nothing to do with political pressure or overreach. Kimmel seized on that, firing back, “My ratings aren’t very good!?” and then slamming Vance’s own metrics by comparing them to “a hair in your salad.” He also drifted into more provocative territory by mocking the vice president’s appearance, saying, “How did we wind up with a president and a vice president who wear more makeup than Kylie Jenner and Lady Gaga combined?”

The roast was not limited to Vance alone. Kimmel also took aim at President Trump and the declassification of documents related to Amelia Earhart, accusing that move of being a distraction from calls to release the Epstein files. The comedian lamented that most people don’t care about that kind of symbolic spectacle unless it’s tied to something more pressing.

Kimmel’s return to full national coverage comes at a charged moment. The show had been suspended on September 17, and even after Disney lifted that suspension on September 22, broadcasters like Nexstar and Sinclair maintained the blackout until late September. The monologue served not just as a comedic performance but as a statement: even in the face of corporate or political pressure, Kimmel would take back the narrative and call out those who tried to suppress him.

By centering Vance as the subject of ridicule, Kimmel reignited debate about free speech, media control, and how political power can intersect with entertainment. His approach was blunt and unapologetic, seizing the moment of his return to send a message that his show would not quietly yield to those who questioned it.

In doing so, he reminded viewers that late-night television has often been a platform not just for jokes but for commentary and resistance. His stage was once again open, his voice loud and unfiltered, and for one night in Brooklyn he made clear that neither ratings nor political posturing will silence him.