‘More ominous than I expected’
Jimmy Kimmel addressed Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on Monday night’s edition of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” noting how strange 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 Trump, a convicted felon, being re-elected president. And the evil has already begun: selling inauguration Bibles and a new meme coin that has already made 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 indoors, “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 Trump declined to do in 2021.
“Overall, unlike last time, there was a lot of respect for tradition,” Kimmel said. “Kamala Harris invited J.D. Vance to the Vice President’s residence at the Naval Observatory for a ceremonial crouch on the Millard Filmore futon.”
Kimmel noted that former Vice President Mike Pence did show up — but without his wife Karen, who “chose 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 expected.”
“Emperor Palpateeny hands are back,” he said. “It was not an uplifting – or even well-written speech. Trump said twice that “America’s Golden Age Begins Now” – bragging about a landslide victory that was in no way a landslide victory.
“A lot of people wondered why all these rich guys were invited to the Capitol for the inauguration – there’s a great explanation for that. Trump is selling the country to the highest bidder,” Kimmel added. “It was really amazing to see these powerful men, who never have to make another dollar in their lives, humiliate themselves by sucking in this ridiculous person.”
Kimmel said he didn’t think Trump seemed to be enjoying himself: “I don’t think he enjoys 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. Don’t know.”
Kimmel then noted how Trump signed a stack of executive orders — and of course noted the hypocrisy of Republicans criticizing Barack Obama for signing far fewer executive orders. “Remember how angry Republicans got when a Democratic president issued an executive order? Neither did she.
“Trump also signed pardons for those convicted of storming the Capitol on January 6. Fifteen hundred of them. He did this in front of a large, cheering crowd. The same crowd he criticized Joe Biden for pardoning his family in front of. Here’s the difference. Biden has pardoned a number of people who did not commit crimes. Trump pardoned a group of people who did.”
