Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Trump's $5,000 Check and Racist Rhetoric
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel sharply criticized Donald Trump's campaign promises and remarks about race, targeting a proposed $5,000 payment and attacks on Muslim Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as the midterm elections approach.
Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 check to every American if Republicans win control of Congress in the midterms. He then told supporters at a rally that the money might only buy them a hamburger and a small dessert at his members-only Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
The proposed payments, which are conditional on Republican victories and have not been authorized by Congress, surfaced as a key affordability issue ahead of the November 5 elections. Americans are grappling with higher costs for groceries, housing, and energy. Trump, who is 80 years old, made the remarks during a campaign event on a Wednesday, having previously suggested the idea on a Tuesday.
Kimmel's on-air criticism
Jimmy Kimmel mocked the proposal on his ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The 58-year-old host described Mar-a-Lago as a “members-only mausoleum.” His studio audience booed during the segment. Kimmel questioned why Trump would tell his own supporters they could not afford to eat at his resort. He also ridiculed Trump's claim to have personally selected all the marble in the White House.
Kimmel said Trump is “completely out of touch.” He had previously called Trump's claims about the checks ridiculous and relentless.
Controversial comments on race and El-Sayed
Trump's rhetoric extended beyond economic promises. He attacked Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old Senate candidate in Michigan. Trump called El-Sayed a terrorist and a jihadist, falsely referring to him as 'Mohamed' and describing him as 'really arrogant.' Trump claimed El-Sayed would need a metal detector before entering the Senate and invoked the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in his remarks.
El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official who was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, would become the nation's first Muslim senator if elected. Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump, condemned the statements as 'racist' and 'out of line.'
Jimmy Kimmel addressed these comments on air. The way Trump has been talking about non-white people lately really takes you back about 200 years, Kimmel said. He also joked that El-Sayed, who played lacrosse, football, and hockey, was proficient in 'the three whitest sports.'
Broader cultural and political context
The late-night segment reflects wider concerns about Trump's political standing and the role of comedy in the campaign. Trump's approval rating is down to 32%. The Senate race between El-Sayed and his Republican opponent, 63-year-old Mike Rogers, is considered a highly competitive toss-up for Senate control.
Other late-night hosts have also focused on Trump's campaign. Seth Meyers compared how Barack Obama and Donald Trump campaign for midterm votes. Trump himself has made headlines for commenting on rapper Nicki Minaj's physique at a rally and for campaigning in Texas for a candidate he previously criticized.
Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., is known for yelling about critics on his podcast Triggered but hasn't been seen working much. The former president also dodged a question about backing JD Vance as a presidential candidate in 2028. As the election nears, Kimmel's critique shows the cultural clash over Trump's economic promises and racial rhetoric.
