Jimmy Kimmel delivers special 20-minute monologue just for Republicans
By Matt Moore
The comedy of Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn't for everyone. That's probably especially true for Republicans, who have been a recurring punchline for host Jimmy Kimmel as he's ramped up his political commentary in the Trump era. But Kimmel tried to bridge that gap on Tuesday night with a special monologue just for conservatives.
Kimmel's special monologue comes just a week out from the 2024 presidential election. Both candidates have made their closing arguments, offering very different views of the country and its future. Kimmel hasn't been shy about his support for Democrat Kamala Harris. Tuesday night's monologue gave the comedian a chance to pitch Republican voters on his perspective.
Right off the bat, Kimmel clarified that his monologue wasn't meant to insult or alienate conservatives. It wasn't a roast of Donald Trump or his allies; Kimmel did plenty of that the night before.
Kimmel took things a step further by admitting his own role in the country's political divide. "I do a lot of mocking and belittling and it isn't always productive," Kimmel said. "Am I biased against Donald Trump? Yes. Do I think I have good reasons to be biased against him? Yes."
Jimmy Kimmel uses Trump's words against him in a plea to Republican voters
Jimmy Kimmel's special monologue stayed consistent in how the comedian only addressed Republican voters and Donald Trump supporters. The late-night TV host attempted to appeal to voters' reason and values. To do that, Kimmel only used quotes directly from Donald Trump.
Kimmel ran down a list of topics and issues to highlight Trump's positions and policies. Healthcare, childcare, transgender policies, and windmills are just some of what Kimmel covered. Each time, he played a montage of Trump either delivering a word salad or nothing of substance. Kimmel could only conclude that Trump is "completely preoccupied with nonsense."
The monologue's tone became a little more frustrated as Kimmel continued to profile Trump. The ex-president's side hustle as a sneaker/coin/book/NFT/watch/Bible salesman especially irked Kimmel. Pleading to GOP voters, Kimmel asked how none of Trump's behavior is embarassing to his supporters.
Kimmel's closing argument hammered Trump over election lies. He pushed back against Trump's conspiracy theories on stolen elections or preemptive claims of rigged votes. According to Kimmel, anyone else making these claims would be medically examined. His final plea was to cite the hundreds of prominent Republicans who have endorsed Kamala Harris or said Trump is unfit to be president.
It's hard to imagine Kimmel's monologue will change that many minds just a week away from the election. The 20-minute speech straddled the line between an honest appeal and a Trump roast, but it is a late-night TV show at the end of the day. If nothing else, Kimmel can feel a little better about trying to ease the divide he admittedly contributes to.