Jimmy Kimmel thrilled to be name dropped during Trump trial
By Matt Moore
Jimmy Kimmel can't seem to get away from Donald Trump even if he wanted to. The late-night TV host sounded thrilled to report he'd been name-dropped yet again during the ex-president's hush money trial.
Of course, Kimmel has spent hundreds of Jimmy Kimmel Live! episodes talking about Donald Trump. Since 2016, it's hard to think of many monologues in which the comedian didn't insult, mock, or roast Trump. And every so often, Trump would respond to create a surreal back-and-forth.
Another chapter has been added to the Kimmel-Trump dynamic thanks to Stormy Daniels. The adult film star testified on Tuesday, detailing her encounter with Trump that allegedly led to her being paid to keep quiet about their affair.
"We got mentioned in court again today, which was exciting," Kimmel said at the top of Tuesday night's monologue. Prosecutors asked Daniels about her 2018 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, focusing on discrepancies in Daniels' signatures on multiple statements. Kimmel pressed Daniels about the issue in 2018.
On Tuesday, Daniels then testified that she signed a 2018 statement denying the affair in an unsual way in order to "tip off" Kimmel ahead of her appearance on the show. Kimmel compared himself to Kato Kalin from the O.J. Simpson trial. "She played me like a fiddle," the comedian said on Tuesday in response to Daniels testimony that she wasn't truthful during the late-night TV interview.
The testimony is another bizarre twist in Donald Trump's never-ending connection to late-night TV. In this trial alone, Jimmy Kimmel has been referenced twice. And Stephen Colbert got a shout-out during jury selection.
Then there are the dozens and dozens of times Trump has attacked late-night TV hosts like Kimmel, Colbert, and Seth Meyers. And who can forget his criticisms of Saturday Night Live for how they portrayed his White House tenure?
With the hush money payment trial still weeks away from ending and Trump facing more court appearances in the future, it won't be shocking to hear late-night TV mentioned again. Jimmy Kimmel will certainly be thrilled, even if Trump isn't.