Jimmy Kimmel asks Trump if Taylor Swift can be his cellmate when 'talk show host round-up begins'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jimmy Kimmel took a playful jab at President-elect Donald Trump following his 2024 election victory during the November 6 episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
In his opening monologue, Kimmel, who has spent much of the year humorously criticizing Trump, made a light-hearted request, revealing he might soon find himself on Trump’s list of enemies as the president returns to the White House.
Jimmy Kimmel jokes about prison cell with Taylor Swift as he reflects on disheartening election results
"My only request to President-elect Trump is that he let me share a prison cell with Taylor Swift," Kimmel joked. "I’m really good at making bracelets, and I think we get along just fine. We’ll see how funny that is in six months, when the great talk show host round-up begins."
This comment comes after Kimmel, as expected, spent much of the monologue unpacking his thoughts on the election results, which left him visibly disheartened. The late-night host began his remarks by calling election night "terrible" for a variety of reasons, touching on issues like women’s rights, healthcare, climate change, and immigration, which he believes could all take a major hit under Trump's second term.
"It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech," Kimmel lamented. "It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on Social Security, for our allies in Ukraine, for NATO and democracy and decency."
Kimmel also expressed his frustration by addressing Trump supporters directly, remarking that the election was also "a bad night for everyone who voted for him too. You just don’t realize it yet."
Jimmy Kimmel rips into Donald Trump’s victory and mocks Vladimir Putin
The late-night host didn’t hold back, further describing the election as a “really good night for Vladimir Putin, polio, Elon Musk, and all the wriggling brain worms who sold what was left of their souls to bow down to Donald Trump.” Kimmel’s tongue-in-cheek remark referenced Robert F Kennedy Jr's bizarre claim that a worm had once entered his head and eaten a part of it.
At one point, Kimmel admitted that it was "remarkable" that more than half the country had voted for a convicted criminal to return to office, making a pointed jab at the controversy surrounding Trump’s legal battles. "I guess this election wasn't rigged," Kimmel quipped, noting the contrast to claims in the previous election cycle.
He also compared Trump’s political longevity to that of a villain, saying, "This Donald Trump, he’s like the Emperor from 'Star Wars'. He’s old, he’s evil, and he keeps coming back with no reasonable explanation whatsoever."
While much of Kimmel’s monologue was filled with sarcasm and criticism, he also acknowledged the reality that Trump's second term might be even more tumultuous than the first.
Jimmy Kimmel holds out hope for Donald Trump’s second term
Still, Jimmy Kimmel remained hopeful, saying that perhaps Donald Trump's presidency could "wake" the country up if it leads to tangible improvements on issues like inflation and taxes.
"I hope his next unpredictable act is to reach across the aisle and do something positive," Kimmel added. "The bar is low. He has an opportunity to win us over. Maybe this time, he’ll shock us and actually do some productive things. He won’t, probably, but he could."
Kimmel’s remarks reflect the continued tension between the late-night host and the political landscape, as he navigates the aftermath of a contentious election. Trump’s win, which saw him sweep key battleground states like Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, signals the start of another unpredictable chapter in American politics.
