Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump on Capitol riot anniversary

He describes US president's actions as 'selfish, disgraceful, and dangerous'

Comedian and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel sharply criticized President Donald Trump during Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday, marking the fifth anniversary of the Jan 6, 2021 US Capitol insurrection. Kimmel targeted a commemorative White House web page and social media posts that he said glorify the rioters and misrepresent the events of that day.

Kimmel reminded viewers of the violent and deadly riot, which Trump encouraged by riling up his supporters in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. He described Trump's actions as "selfish, disgraceful, tyrannical, and dangerous" and said it was "very important that we do not forget" the attack. Kimmel condemned the administration's portrayal of the events as peaceful, warning that this was a clear attempt at "revisionist history."

The host also highlighted the role of former Vice President Mike Pence, who he praised for choosing "the Constitution over his running mate" by certifying the election results despite pressure from Trump. Kimmel contrasted Pence's conduct with Trump's, noting that the president "enjoyed [the riot] from the comfort of his office for hours on television" before reluctantly calling it off.

Kimmel's monologue reflects ongoing debates over accountability and historical narrative, as the Trump administration continues to frame Jan 6 in ways that critics argue downplay its severity. The anniversary of the insurrection remains a flashpoint for national discussion about democracy, leadership, and the rule of law.

Before hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel was the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money. Kimmel has also produced several TV shows, including Crank Yankers, Sports Show with Norm Macdonald, and The Andy Milonakis Show. In 2018, Time named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kimmel has the longest tenure of any current late-night television host in the United States. At 23 seasons, his tenure hosting a single late-night comedy-variety show is second only to Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 seasons. After Kimmel commented on the assassination of Charlie Kirk in his monologue on September 17, 2025, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a week.

Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and grew up in the neighborhood of Mill Basin. He is the eldest of the three children of Joan (née Iacono) and James John Kimmel, who worked at American Express and was an IBM executive.

He was raised Catholic and was an altar boy as a child. Kimmel's mother is of Italian descent; her grandparents migrated to the United States from Ischia, Naples, after the 1883 earthquake. Two of his paternal great-great-grandparents were German immigrants. His family's surname was Kümmel ('caraway' in German) several generations back. He obtained Italian citizenship in 2025.

He attended P.S. 236 elementary school before the family moved to Las Vegas when he was nine years old, where he befriended his neighbor Cleto Escobedo III, who would go on to be the bandleader on Jimmy Kimmel Live! He graduated from Ed W. Clark High School and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), for one year before his family moved to Arizona. He attended Arizona State University for the 1985-86 academic year and left without graduating. He received an honorary degree from UNLV in 2013.

Kimmel's uncle, Frank Potenza ("Uncle Frank"), appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a regular from 2003 until he died in 2011. His cousin Sal Iacono performed Kimmel's former co-hosting duties during the last season of Win Ben Stein's Money and then became a writer and sketch performer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! His Aunt Chippy (Concetta Potenza) is also a featured part of the show.[citation needed] His brother Jonathan works on the show as a director. His sister, Jill, is a comedian.

Inspired by David Letterman's start in radio, Kimmel began working in radio while in high school. He was the host of a Sunday night interview show on UNLV's college station, KUNV. While attending Arizona State University, he became a popular caller to the KZZP-FM afternoon show hosted by radio personalities Mike Elliott and Kent Voss in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1989, Kimmel landed his first paying job alongside Voss as morning drive co-host of The Me and Him Show at KZOK-FM in Seattle, Washington. Over the next 10 months, the hosts performed several stunts on air, including one that led to the loss of an $8,000 advertising contract with the Seattle Mariners.

In 1990, Kimmel and Voss were fired by KZOK and were fired again a year later at WRBQ-FM in Tampa. Kimmel went on to host his own show at KCMJ in Palm Springs, California, where he recruited as his intern Carson Daly, who had been a family friend since his childhood. After a morning stint at KRQQ in Tucson, Arizona, Kimmel landed at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles. He spent five years as "Jimmy The Sports Guy" for the Kevin and Bean morning show. During that time, he met and befriended the comedian Adam Carolla.