Jimmy Kimmel Slams Trump's Joke About Iran Nuking Los Angeles
The late-night host called the former president's remarks 'truly appalling' and suggested reporting him to the FCC.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday condemned former President Donald Trump for his remarks suggesting Iran could target Los Angeles and San Diego with a nuclear weapon, calling the comments "truly appalling."
During his monologue on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," the host played a clip of Trump speaking in Nebraska on Monday about the ongoing conflict with Iran. Trump had said that soaring costs related to the war were "a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, for keeping our country safe."
"They could take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay," Trump said to cheers from the crowd. Kimmel's audience, however, reacted with audible boos.
Kimmel expressed shock at the former president's statement, stating, "I know he says a lot of crazy things... but that's one of the craziest, most indefensible statements I have ever heard even this maniac make."
He criticized Trump for "openly musing about Iran, a country we are currently at war with, taking out two American cities," while his supporters cheered.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized Trump's remarks, calling them "dangerous – if not treasonous." Newsom stated in an official release Tuesday that he was directing the State Threat Assessment Center to monitor the situation in case foreign actors interpret Trump's comments as an invitation to target California. He accused Trump of "putting a target on two of our biggest cities and one of America’s largest naval hubs."
When reached for comment, the White House referred to a statement from Communications Director Steven Cheung on X. Cheung stated, "The media freakout over President Trump’s comments is not rooted in reality. He was clearly stating US cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped. America is safer because of the President. Iran has no nuclear, no navy, no air force, and no money."
The U.S. began strikes on Iran on February 28.