Jimmy Kimmel Offers a Sharp Take on Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Jimmy Kimmel took a comedic jab at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner through his monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, delivering sharp remarks about President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and members of the White House staff. This year, Trump will attend the dinner for the first time as president; however, the White House Correspondents’ Association has opted for mentalist Oz Pearlman as the featured entertainer, departing from the traditional choice of a comedian. Kimmel previously performed at the dinner in 2012.
Kimmel’s alternative event included a mock set from the Washington Hilton, complete with clips of the president and others in attendance, some appearing noticeably unamused.
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Kimmel’s jokes targeted various subjects, including:
“We’ll get you all dressed up in formal wear, dresses, tuxedos. I haven’t seen this much black since every page of the Trump Epstein files.”
“We’re gonna have fun tonight, and I’m happy you decided to stay, Mr. President. And don’t worry if we bruise your ego, it’ll only make your hands look less disgusting.”
“In the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the house? I’m sorry. I mean, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them, too.”
“I get why you think you’re Jesus. This guy, every time he walks into a room, people say, Christ, he’s back.”
“President Trump has accomplished so much during his second term. He passed new incentives for oil and gas. He put the brakes on solar and wind. That will be your legacy, sir, breaking wind and passing gas.”
“The president didn’t want me to tell any jokes about him tonight, but he also didn’t want to pay me $130,000 to shut up,” a reference to the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels central to Trump’s criminal conviction on New York state charges in 2024.
Kimmel also included quips about Melania Trump, stating, “As you’re all aware, Melania is a movie star now. Her documentary had a score of 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a website named after her husband’s testicles.”
“Oh, by the way, before we go any further, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania. That was my impression of Jeffrey Epstein.” This jab followed Melania’s recent media engagement denying rumors surrounding Epstein, the convicted sex offender who purportedly introduced her to her husband.
Kimmel continued to poke fun at others in Trump’s circle, including senior adviser Stephen Miller. “Stephen Miller is so racist. The reason he went bald is because his hair was black. Steven Miller puts the cist in white supremacist. He’s like if baby Hitler traveled in time to kill us.”
He also had a laugh at the expense of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying, “Pete’s hair has more oil in it right now than the Strait of Hormuz. And don’t worry about the strait. Pete has a plan. I know that for a fact. His wife accidentally butt texted the plans to me. Later on, Pete’s gonna read us a Bible passage from Pulp Fiction, so stick around.”
Kimmel referenced other political figures, including Vice President JD Vance and FBI Director Kash Patel, before quipping about Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC. “I’m almost out of time. Brendan Carr has given me the light. Brendan Carr is the head of the FCC. Back in September, he tried to get my affiliates to throw me off the air. He said we could do this ‘the easy way or the hard way.’ Same thing he said to Lindsey Graham, 10 minutes ago in the all-gender restroom.”
Kimmel noted that mentalist Pearlman will be a guest on his show on Monday night. Meanwhile, Trump last attended the dinner in 2015, shortly before launching his presidential campaign. His most memorable appearance occurred in 2011 when he was still known for Celebrity Apprentice but was contemplating a run for the White House. That night, he was the target of jokes from featured entertainer Seth Meyers and President Barack Obama. Trump appeared visibly displeased during the event, captured on C-SPAN cameras.
Meyers had quipped, “Donald Trump has been saying that he’ll run for president as a Republican, which is surprising, since I just assumed he was running as a joke.”
