A week before Election Day, Jimmy Kimmel made a solemn plea Tuesday night to moderate Republicans to reconsider voting for Donald Trump, using the former president's words to make the case against his return to the White House .
The host of ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live” devoted his opening monologue to recounting a series of bizarre and ridiculous “words” that have come out of his mouth over the past nine years. He urged the audience to weigh the 2024 presidential election in terms of “intelligence, security and democracy.”
“The thing is this. It's weird – these stupid, random things of his – and it would be fine – if he were hosting a podcast, or selling knives at the farmer's market. But he must lead us. People are listening to him. And the country is going crazy. Because he makes it okay to be crazy,” Kimmel said.
“Remember all those people in Dallas waiting for JFK Jr. and his father to come back to life — and then he'd serve as Trump's running mate in '24,” Kimmel said in a bizarre conspiracy theory. Quoting Trump, who is going around. “Donald Trump is the perfect intersection between QAnon and QVC.”
Kimmel decided to ask his Republican friends and family members to watch his monologue as a personal favor to the audience. He introduced himself by nodding to “The Man Show,” the silly and mysterious unscripted comedy series he hosted with Adam Carolla for Comedy Central from 1999 to 2004.
“For those of you who never watch — I'm Jimmy Kimmel. You might remember me from 'The Man Show,'” he said. “We had a great relationship back then. Beer, trampolines. …Good times, didn't we? We had fun.”
Kimmel pointed the finger at himself by addressing the bitterness of the country's political and cultural divisions in the present.
“But times are less fun now. We're a week away from the election, and we're deeply divided. And not just because of Donald Trump – if I'm being honest, because of people like me,” he said. “I make fun and put it down a lot…and it's not always productive. Am I biased towards Donald Trump? Yes. Do I think I have good reasons to be biased toward him? Yes. And I'm probably wrong – but I think when you hear some of those reasons, you'll – you might agree with me – just a little bit.”
Kimmel listed several former Trump aides and Cabinet members who have strongly disapproved of him. He referenced the Trump campaign's rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday evening, where Tony Hinchcliffe, a speaker, used racist insults and fanned the flames among Puerto Rican voters.
“But if you need more – I suggest you watch that rally of his at Madison Square Garden – or listen to all three hours of his interview with Joe Rogan. Because most elections are about policy. Not this one. It's about discretion. and safety. And democracy,” Kimmel said.
“You know, I saw a shirt the other day that said, “I support Trump because he annoys people who annoy me. And it's fun. And I got it. Sometimes it feels like no one has a sense of humor anymore. But is this what we really want for America? Want to tease each other? I don't want that.”
Kimmel brought out his longtime partner Guillermo Rodriguez to support his points that Trump's radical agenda on immigration is anti-American.
“This is Guillermo. He is an immigrant – he has become an American citizen. And this is a toast – to our fellow Americans,” Kimmel said, waving two large mugs of beer.