Jimmy Kimmel addressed the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday night’s edition of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and noted how odd the ceremony turned out to be — just as “our long national nightmare was officially sworn in.”
“It’s still pretty hard to wrap your head around,” he said of the fact that Trump, a convicted felon, was nonetheless elected president once again. And the grift has already started: Selling inauguration Bibles, and a new meme coin that has already minted him a fortune.
“I hope we all understand how crazy that is,” he said, “the President of the United States – following in the footsteps of the Hawk Tuah girl.”
As for the decision to hold the inauguration inside to the cold, “they had to move the festivities indoors – which was actually better for Trump. Harder for Melania to escape.”
And Kimmel noted that President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden welcomed Trump and Melania Trump to the White House, a tradition that Trump refused to do in 2021.
“Overall – unlike the last time – there was a lot of respect paid to tradition,” Kimmel said. “Kamala Harris invited JD Vance to the Vice President’s residence at the Naval Observatory for a ceremonial humping of the Millard Filmore futon.”
Kimmel noted that former vice president Mike Pence did show up — but without his wife Karen, who “opted not to celebrate the man who was all good with a bunch of yahoos killing her husband.”
As for Trump’s second inaugural address, Kimmel noted that it “was more ominous than I anticipated.”
“Emperor Palpateeny hands is back,” he said. “It was not an uplifting – or even well-written speech. Trump said ‘the Golden Age of America begins right now’ twice – he bragged about a landslide victory that was in no way a landslide victory.
“A lot of people were wondering why all these rich guys were invited to sit in the Capitol for the inauguration – there’s a perfectly good explanation for it. Trump is selling the country to the highest bidder,” Kimmel added. “It really has been amazing to watch these powerful men, who don’t need to ever make another dollar in their lives, debasing themselves to suck up to this ridiculous person.”
Kimmel said he didn’t think Trump seemed to be enjoying himself: “I don’t think he likes being in front of an audience that isn’t also there to see Kid Rock,” he said. “He was very subdued. Reading from the teleprompter. Maybe he’s tired from all the winning. I don’t know.”
Kimmel then noted how Trump signed a stack of executive orders — and noted, of course, the hypocrisy of Republics who used to criticize Barack Obama for signing a lot fewer executive orders. “Remember how angry Republicans used to get when a Democrat President issued an executive order? Neither do they.
“Trump also signed pardons for those convicted of storming the Capitol on January 6th. Fifteen hundred of them. He did this in front of a big, cheering crowd. The same crowd he criticized Joe Biden for pardoning his family in front of. Here’s the difference. Biden pardoned a bunch of people who didn’t commit crimes. Trump pardoned a bunch who did.”
