Jimmy Kimmel (left) and Donald Trump | Image: Screengrab from YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live/Instagram, @realdonaldtrump
American TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel struggled to fight back his tears during his monologue one night after Donald Trump was re-elected as president of the United States.
During the opening of his bit on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the renowned host emphasized that the choice for the 2024 US presidential elections was between a prosecutor and a criminal, and the American people “chose the criminal.”
Despite trying to keep his composure by inserting a few witty remarks here and there, Kimmel appeared to almost break down in tears as he described the outcome of the elections as a “terrible night.”
“It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech,” he said.
“It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on social security, for our allies in Ukraine, for NATO, for the truth, and for democracy and decency,” continued the host.
Kimmel affirmed that those who voted for Trump will also realize the weight of what they’ve done sooner or later.
“And it was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him. And guess what? It was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too; you just don’t realize it yet,” he said.
Veteran American host Stephen Colbert also began his late-night show by expressing his dismay over Trump’s victory.
“After a bizarre and vicious campaign fuelled by a desperate need not to go to jail, Donald Trump has won the 2024 election. The deep shock and sense of loss are enormous,” he said.
After Trump reclaimed the presidential seat, various celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Christina Applegate, among others, have also expressed their disappointment on social media.
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to be re-elected as the 47th President of the United States, the first US president with felony convictions and who is set to become the oldest US president to be elevated to the position.
Experts weighed in that Trump’s return to the White House is a “threat” to various issues, including abortion, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, press freedom, gun safety, foreign policy, and climate change.