Jimmy Kimmel, back from his summer break, delivered a sharp critique of former President Donald Trump on Thursday night, including a joke referencing the 2016 hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels.
During his monologue, Kimmel focused heavily on Trump's recent speech at the RNC midterm convention in Dallas, where the former president promised to issue $5,000 checks if Republicans maintain control of Congress. Kimmel, 58, characterized the promise as a "lie-be," a portmanteau of lie and bribe, and questioned Trump's assertion that this was a solution to his perceived low approval ratings.
"Trump is drowning right now," Kimmel claimed, arguing that Trump "has failed" and "hasn't delivered" on his promises. The host further asserted that Trump's endorsement of candidates in the midterm elections indicated he was "in a lot of trouble."
The late-night host then transitioned to a more pointed joke about the $130,000 payment made by Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels in October 2016. Daniels had alleged an affair with Trump in 2006. The payment was made after Daniels attempted to disclose the alleged affair. Cohen was later sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the scandal, and Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to the payment. A jury found that Trump had disguised repayment to Cohen as legal fees, though the case was dismissed the following November.
Kimmel also commented on Trump's nickname for Democrats, "Dumocrats," questioning how unintelligent he believed his supporters to be. He suggested that the only way to get money from Trump was "to have sex with him and promise not to talk about it."
Further remarks from Kimmel touched on alleged interference by the Trump administration regarding guest bookings on ABC shows, including an interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico. Kimmel claimed that "the president and his FCC" had threatened him, his show, and ABC over "simple, traditional, editorial decisions." This claim aligns with ABC's assertion that pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) led to fewer political candidates being booked on "The View."
An episode featuring Talarico prompted FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to accuse ABC of violating the "equal time rule." The rule, established decades ago, was intended to prevent broadcasters from influencing election outcomes. However, exemptions implemented since the 1990s allowed shows like "The View" and certain late-night programs to book guests while being categorized as "bona fide newscasts."
Carr's review placed this arrangement and ABC's broadcast rights under scrutiny. He had previously threatened to investigate ABC for "news distortion" following a critical remark Kimmel made about conservatives in September of the previous year. ABC subsequently filed a lawsuit, alleging the administration sought to punish the network for its speech through the FCC. Carr has denied that the review was prompted by a previous Kimmel joke about Melania Trump.