Fox News anchor Sean Hannity unleashed a fiery attack on late-night host Jimmy Kimmel during his Thursday primetime show, accusing the ABC star of glorifying crime after a polarizing joke about vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles.
Hannity didnโt mince words, branding Kimmel an โunhinged loserโ and calling out Disney CEO Bob Iger, whose company owns ABC, the home of Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003.
โBob Iger, youโre the CEO of Disney. Are you proud of this?โ Hannity demanded, putting the executive squarely in the hot seat.
The controversy erupted over Kimmelโs recent monologue addressing Teslaโs slumping stock prices, linked partly to backlash against CEO Elon Musk and his rumored White House connections.
Kimmel waded into the fray with a quip about arson and vandalism incidents hitting Tesla vehicles and showrooms. โPeople have been vandalizing Tesla vehicles. New Tesla vehicles. Please donโt vandalize. Donโt ever vandalize Tesla vehicles,โ he said, pausing as the audience roared with laughter.
Hannityโs Critique and Muskโs Response
Hannity seized on the moment, accusing Kimmel of hypocrisy and highlighting a perceived disconnect in the comedianโs public image. โJimmy, he sobs, he weeps when an election doesnโt go his way,โ Hannity charged.
โHe demands compassion when heโs having issues in his personal life, yet here he is allowed by ABC and Disney to joke about criminal acts that impact everyday citizens.โ He argued that Kimmelโs jest undermined regular Americans who drive Teslas, framing it as a betrayal of the empathy the host often champions.
The Fox News veteran doubled down, questioning Disneyโs oversight and values. โBob, are you okay with this seeming glorification of violence?โ Hannity pressed.
โIs this what you consider the โinclusive, woke DEIโ brand that ABC Disney stands for?โ His critique tapped into broader tensions over media accountability and corporate responsibility, amplifying the stakes of the clash.
Elon Musk jumped into the fray too, blasting Kimmel on X with a terse โunfunny jerkโ jab. The Tesla mogulโs retort added fuel to an already blazing feud, echoing Hannityโs disdain.
A History of Feuds and Cultural Divide
This isnโt Hannity and Kimmelโs first rodeo. Back in 2018, they traded barbs for days after Kimmel mocked then-First Lady Melania Trumpโs accent, a spat that spilled across airwaves and social media.
The latest dust-up underscores the deepening divide in entertainmentโs political landscape. Kimmelโs supporters might argue his Tesla bit was biting satire, but critics like Hannity view it as a reckless nod to real-world crime, spotlighting what they see as late-night TVโs shifting tone.
Neither ABC nor Iger has weighed in on Hannityโs salvo or the monologueโs fallout as of yet, leaving the debate simmering in the public square.