Jimmy Kimmel Pushes 'Trademarked' Trump Rebrand of Jeffrey Epstein Files

Late-night host repeatedly flashes new name on screen during monologue

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Jimmy Kimmel made a concerted push to urge his viewers to adopt his freshly minted name for the Jeffrey Epstein case files - the 'Trump-Epstein files' - flashing the name on screen several times in a recurring bit throughout his monologue. Kimmel was citing Rep. Jamie Raskin's Axios interview that reveals the frequency of Trump's name in the unredacted records accessible to members of Congress.

Why it matters

Kimmel's attempt to rebrand the Epstein files as the 'Trump-Epstein files' reflects the ongoing political debate around the scandal and Trump's potential involvement. The host's repeated on-screen trademark branding also highlights his comedic take on Trump's penchant for putting his name on public institutions.

The details

During his Valentine's Day-themed monologue, Kimmel segued to mention that JD Vance has been 'very weakly defending his boss and the fact that Trump's name is mentioned more than a million times in what are now known as the Trump Epstein files.' The name then flashed on-screen, complete with trademark symbol. Later, Kimmel riffed on reports that the Justice Department is tracking lawmakers' search histories when probing the unredacted files, again flashing the 'Trump-Epstein files' name on-screen and quipping 'Trademark'.

  • On Thursday, February 13, 2026, Kimmel made the push to rebrand the Epstein files during his late-night monologue.

The players

Jimmy Kimmel

The host of the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States, whose name is mentioned frequently in the Epstein case files according to Rep. Jamie Raskin.

Jamie Raskin

A Democratic congressman from Maryland who revealed the frequency of Trump's name in the unredacted Epstein records accessible to members of Congress.

JD Vance

A politician who has been defending Trump's involvement in the Epstein scandal, according to Kimmel.

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What they’re saying

“You know, JD Vance has been very weakly defending his boss and the fact that Trump's name is mentioned more than a million times in what are now known as the Trump Epstein files.”

— Jimmy Kimmel, Late-night host (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)

“We're getting that trademark, and we're going to, but you can spread it around, feel free!”

— Jimmy Kimmel, Late-night host (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)

What’s next

It remains to be seen if Kimmel's attempt to rebrand the Epstein files as the 'Trump-Epstein files' will gain traction, or if it will simply be a one-off comedic bit on his late-night show.

The takeaway

Kimmel's push to trademark the 'Trump-Epstein files' name reflects the ongoing political debate around Trump's potential involvement in the Epstein scandal. The host's comedic approach highlights the broader public interest and scrutiny surrounding the case, as well as Trump's history of branding public institutions with his name.