Jimmy Kimmel’s been taking a break this summer amid the 2026 TV schedule but, amid his absence, a roster of celebrity guest hosts are filling in for him. The first host up at bat was comedian Tiffany Haddish, who hosted during the week of July 6. During her latest stint headlining Live!, Haddish managed to ruffle a few feathers like Kimmel himself, doing so by making a joke about U.S. President Donald Trump. Her comment even sparked a response from the White House, and we’re going to lay this out.
What Did Tiffany Haddish Say About President Trump, And How Did The White House Respond?
Donald Trump made headlines earlier this month when he intervened in Team USA’s involvement in the World Cup. Per reports, President Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask that he review the red card suspension issued to the team’s star forward, Folarin Balogun. On July 5, Balogun’s suspension was reversed, though the U.S. men’s national team was ultimately dealt a 4-1 loss against Belgium on July 6. During Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s July 7th episode, Haddish poked fun at the Commander in Chief:
People are blaming Donald Trump for the loss after he got FIFA to help Team USA. It seems like everything Trump touches dies, which I guess is why his tiny hands are all up fucked up.
At this point, the White House has provided comments on ways in which POTUS and members of his administration have been referenced on TV. For example, the WH spoke out about comments that The View’s hosts made about the president. There have even been unprompted responses from the administration regarding pop culture events, with the White House even reacting to Taylor Swift’s wedding. When it came to the Tiffany Haddish situation, WH spokesperson David Ingle simply said this to USA Today:
Who the hell is Tiffany Haddish?
Much of social media seemed to take that as shade being thrown at the Masked Singer contestant. But that wasn’t the end of the discussion.
How Did Tiffany Haddish Respond To The White House’s Comment
After Ingle's comment made the rounds, Haddish responded on Live!’s July 8th episode, saying. Needless to say, she didn’t mince words when sharing her thoughts on the perceived slight:
I got a shout out from the White House today. For real, y'all. For real. They issued an official statement about this joke I made last night…. A spokesperson named David Ingle said, ‘Who the hell is Tiffany Hattish?’ Who am I? Huh? Huh? I'm bitch the you walk past to get to your coach seat mother. Who am I? Who am I? I'm a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Who am I? Who the fuck is David Ingle, huh? Who is that? Is that a new character on Little House [on] the Prairie? But your ass in the White House, you in the wrong house.
Despite all that, Haddish also said that the notion of being called out by the White House was “exciting” for her. As she put it, it’s “the day that I finally become Jimmy Kimmel.” Of course, Haddish’s comment references the fact that Kimmel has been engaged in more than a few situations involving the president. It was for that reason that Trump responded positively when Kimmel’s show was suspended in 2025 due to comments he made about the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. Earlier this year, Kimmel also drew backlash for saying First Lady Melania Trump looked like “an expectant widow.” Those comments notably came days before the alleged assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and Kimmel later defended his comment.
Before he went on vacay, Kimmel lined up some other notable guest hosts, including Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson and Jelly Roll. Kimmel also notably asked fellow Trump critic Rosie O’Donnell to host later this summer as a “treat” for the president. With that, one has to wonder if O’Donnell (or any other guest host) will follow in Tiffany Haddish’s and Kimmel’s footsteps by making jokes at Trump’s expense.
