Jimmy Kimmel mocks Trump over Venezuela and Kennedy Center rating, calls Nicolas Maduro ‘no saint’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jimmy Kimmel leaves plenty of room to slam Donald Trump whenever he appears on his show. The host uses every opportunity to respond to Trump’s actions. That was evident during 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on Monday, January 5.

Kimmel updated the audience on all the major news that happened while he was away. He joked about Trump and covered a range of topics, including the recent Venezuela attack and the capture of Nicolas Maduro. 

“If you were wondering how bad these Epstein Files are for Trump, turns out they’re Invade Venezuela Bad,” Kimmel said. The late‑night host then compared what Trump has done in recent days to the story of a well‑known 1997 movie. He also brought up the low‑rated Kennedy Center Honors that Trump hosted.

Late‑night host mocks Trump’s Venezuela move as a distraction from Epstein files

In the last two weeks, Trump has stirred global attention with a series of high‑profile decisions, most notably a strike on Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 

Commenting on recent events, Kimmel said, "Donald Trump did so much crazy stuff over the last two weeks, it would take a nine‑part Ken Burns documentary series to cover it all, but I'm going to do my best to boil it down." 

Kimmel suggested that Trump’s move against Maduro may be designed to divert public attention from the looming release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. He joked that the controversy is so serious that it was 'Invade Venezuela bad.' 

He also drew a comparison to a well‑known film plot, saying, "This is literally the plot of the movie 'Wag the Dog.' The president gets caught in a sex scandal, so he attacks a smaller country to distract us, and here we are distracted."

Turning back to Maduro’s capture, Kimmel talked about the Venezuelan leader’s record, saying, "Trump decided Maduro had to go, and yes, he's a criminal and a dictator who's driven his country into financial ruin, while he and his family have lined their own pockets, but Maduro is no saint either." 

Kimmel was not alone in discussing the topic. Other late‑night hosts, including Stephen Colbert on 'The Late Show' and Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show,' also used their platforms to talk about the Venezuela developments and related political headlines.

Jimmy Kimmel ridicules Trump for the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast 

Kimmel didn’t hold back in mocking Trump for hosting the Kennedy Center Honors on December 23. "After boasting about what a great host he is, and how much better he is than I am, and how huge his ratings would be, Trump hosted the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast of all time," Kimmel said. 

"As I recall, he said he would step down if this happened, right? He said, 'If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel, then I don't think I should be president.' Hey, a deal is a deal. Back to Mar-a-Lago you go," he added.

Kimmel's comments referenced Trump’s earlier remarks in which he claimed, "Iif I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent," then "I don't think I should be president."

According to Variety and Deadline, the broadcast, which honored stars including Sylvester Stallone and Gloria Gaynor, drew roughly 3 million viewers, making it the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast in history.