Kimmel and Meyers Mock Trump's Caravan Claims and Corruption Mantra
Late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers targeted President Trump's rhetoric on migrant caravans and corruption.
Jimmy Kimmel directly mocked President Trump's repeated claims about migrant caravans and his 'corruption' mantra during a Thursday night broadcast. Kimmel stated that Democrats now hold 55 seats in the Senate and 255 in the House after a recent Mississippi victory, marking a historic win.
Kimmel said Trump was repeating himself. He described the president's references to caravans, ballrooms, and 'evil Democrats' as increasingly ineffective. "His mantra is corruption," Jimmy Kimmel said. The host compared the situation to seeing former football player Joe Namath in a hearing-aid commercial, suggesting Trump had lost his political potency.
Trump's Social Media Response and Vance's Shifting Role
President Donald Trump posted on social media at 5:50 a.m., claiming 'huge caravans' of migrants were heading toward the U.S. border. He suggested the caravans are back, despite earlier warnings that they would not lead to mass arrivals. In the same post, Trump accused Democrats of calling his administration corrupt and described them as 'corrupt and evil'.
Trump made JD Vance the lead Iran negotiator before pulling the plug. He then redirected Vance to investigate alleged corruption in Democratic-run cities and states. Kimmel quipped that Vance 'almost had a real job to do'. The host also referenced Nvidia's Jensen Huang, whom Trump called an 'honorable man', and referred to Huang and his associates as 'a couple of Nvidiots'.
Cultural Commentary on Political Figures and Senate Dynamics
Seth Meyers and other cultural commentators analyzed the political fallout. Democrat Scott Colom became the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction. Colom was previously blocked from a federal judgeship by Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith. Meyers called Colom's win 'payback' and 'a beautiful story of revenge'.
Meyers replayed footage of Republicans insisting polls were wrong before the blue wave in the midterms. He also mocked Trump's reliance on adviser Pete Hegseth, suggesting Hegseth is less popular than Trump so the president keeps him around to look good in comparison. Meyers criticized Hegseth's 'incel poetry' and a viral list of types he doesn't want in the military.
Regarding an impeachment attempt launched by Thomas Massie, which Meyers called 'sassy', many Democrats did not vote, leading to a lack of support. Meyers described absent Democrats as 'raggedy' and said calling a colleague that means they 'fucked up'.
Kimmel's Specific Targets and Filibuster Stance
Kimmel directly compared Trump's corruption claims to Colonel Sanders' cholesterol rhetoric. "Trump telling you to root out corruption is like Colonel Sanders telling you to root out cholesterol," Jimmy Kimmel said. He also feigned outrage at Trump's accusation that Democrats call his administration corrupt, stating, 'We would never say anything like that. That would be very, very rude.'
Trump claimed he is the first president not to accept a salary, which Kimmel said is false. Trump also called for an end to the Senate filibuster, arguing it would prevent the Republican-controlled Senate from being 'the place where things are sent to die'. Kimmel said he agreed with criticism of the Senate filibuster. Kimmel called for Mitch McConnell's removal, stating, 'We need to send Mitch McConnell back home to Kentucky immediately.'
