Jimmy Kimmel says a “big part” of why Donald Trump won a second term in the White House is because of “manufactured” outrage against comedians from liberals.
“I don’t put limits on what I laugh at. But for me personally, as I’ve grown older, as I’ve matured, I won’t make a joke that I wouldn’t make if a person of that color or persuasion was in the room,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host said in an interview with Rolling Stone published Tuesday, when asked about what’s considered “acceptable” in comedy in today’s world.
“I think a lot of the outrage is completely manufactured, and it’s like, a lot of these people who are angry aren’t really angry,” Kimmel, who skewers Trump on a regular basis on his ABC late-night show, said.
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“I think these liberals who’ve done such a good job of viciously attacking comedians are a big part of the reason why Trump is the president right now,” he said.
“There’s no black and white when it comes to comedy. There is no line. The line is different for every person. Dave Chappelle can say things that somebody else might not be able to. I don’t think anybody should be canceled. I really don’t.”
The 57-year-old comic dinged former President Biden and other Democrats for what he described as an energy gap with Republicans.
“Say what you want about Trump, we played a clip in rehearsal of Biden’s State of the Union address and Trump’s State of the Union address. The energy in the room, it’s like the difference between golf and wrestling,” he said.
“There’s just a huge amount of energy in the room, and it’s undeniable,” Kimmel continued.
“And when people ask me why they think Trump won, I really believe the reason more than anything is he’s so much more famous than [former Vice President] Kamala Harris. He is a celebrity. He is a star. He is the most famous person in the world. And it’s hard to compete with that,” he said.
Kimmel — who Trump has dubbed “stupid” and “a fool” during a yearslong feud that’s played out in public — ripped the commander in chief and his allies in Congress in his sit-down with Rolling Stone.
“I think most comedians have a strong sense of justice, and he violates that so frequently,” he said of the 47th president.
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“I know we should be hardened to it by now, but I’m not. It is shocking to me; it seems like a comic-book villain. He seems like the kind of character that would flame out after a few years, but the fact that he’s still with us is remarkable,” Kimmel told the music publication of Trump.
“A year ago, I would’ve said I’m hoping to show people who aren’t paying attention to the news what’s actually going on, and hoping to change things that way. Obviously, that didn’t have enough impact before the election, so now I see myself more as a place to scream,” he said.
Republican lawmakers, Kimmel said, are “so scared” of the president.
“I think even more so now than they were the first time around, because he’s so vindictive and there’s no length to which he will not go to punish you,” the frequent Academy Awards host said.
“I just don’t understand how Americans can support what he’s doing and the stupid stuff that he gets hung up on, like transgender sports and the stuff that affects almost no one,” Kimmel continued.
“I know politicians do this; they pick little things they know are going to push your buttons, and those are the things that they go with, but this is an extreme that we’ve never seen before,” he said.
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“There’s no decency. It’s just a bunch of animals, and it’s disgusting.”
But, Kimmel added, he will “still put up a flag” to mark the Fourth of July.
“I’m never going to stop doing that, because I’m never going to let them have that symbol,” he said.
“It’s not their flag; it is not a MAGA brand.”
Kimmel said he finds enjoyment from appearing to get under Trump’s skin.
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“I think it’s funny. I like when he admits I’m bothering him,” he said. Last year, while onstage at the Oscars, Kimmel read social media posts from Trump criticizing his hosting skills.
“Here at the show, where we put a lot of work into lampooning him, for him to acknowledge our work is one of the few things he does that I appreciate,” Kimmel said.
“If he ignored us, it wouldn’t be as much fun.”
