Following the 2026 midterms, where Democrats secured notable victories nationwide, Jimmy Kimmel wasted no time in addressing Donald Trump’s response on election night. As the results poured in and narratives of the GOP’s defeats began flooding the media, Kimmel returned to the stage on Wednesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! to deliver pointed remarks aimed at the former president.
The Excuse That Infuriated Kimmel
Kimmel specifically targeted Trump’s assertion that he “wasn’t on the ballot” and claimed, “if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” The late-night host did not hold back, retorting, “Oh, shut up. Just shut up. Please. Give us a break for one day and shut that ridiculous mouth. You are such a spoiled child. Did you ever learn anything? About manners — or sportsmanship — or simple common decency? Nothing is ever your fault!”
The Unseen Influence of Trump
Kimmel illustrated his point by likening Trump’s pervasive presence in the elections to “dog hair,” saying, “You’re on everything. You’ve infected every nook and cranny of our lives.” In fact, Trump had long claimed to be on the ballot, making this declaration at least 63 times before Election Day, as reported by The Washington Post.
More Late Night Revelations
Kimmel was not alone in his critique. On NBC’s Late Night, Seth Meyers aired a montage of Trump asserting his influence over the midterms, challenging, “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you were on the fucking ballot, my man. Your name might not have been there, but it’s not like everyone forgot who was president.” Meyers argued that Trump’s numerous rally appearances leading up to the elections inherently positioned him on the ballot.
The Candidates and Consequences
Kimmel also pointed out that many of Trump’s endorsed candidates faced defeat. “All your big handpicked candidates lost!” he exclaimed, citing various Republicans who had failed in their bids. Kimmel highlighted paradoxes in Trump’s election narrative, including his prior endorsements of GOP candidates who ultimately did not succeed.
Trump’s Reactions to Results
In the aftermath of the elections, Trump expressed a willingness to accept the results, following his typical narrative around election fraud. Kimmel criticized this sentiment, saying, “How is this even news? You’ll accept the results? Oh, thank you. How gracious.” He juxtaposed Trump’s words with a hypothetical sports analogy, illustrating that accepting results isn’t a personal favor but rather a fact of the outcome.
A Call for Resignation and Change
Continuing his tirade, Kimmel urged Trump to resign, quipping, “Quit already. Just quit. Nobody wants you. Even you don’t want to be president anymore.” He mischievously suggested, “Take that billion dollars’ worth of crypto, buy an island — maybe [Jeffrey] Epstein’s island! Wouldn’t that be a perfect end to this story?” Kimmel expressed a measured optimism regarding a potential J.D. Vance presidency, noting, “A person who flipped from ‘Donald Trump is the American Hitler’ to ‘Donald Trump is the greatest president of my generation’ can flip back. He’s a very good flipper.”
