‘Enough of This Clown Show’: Jimmy Kimmel Mocked for Posing With Democratic Senator Chris Murphy at ‘No Kings Rally’ in California

ABC’s anti-Trump talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, is facing mockery after being spotted at a left-wing “No Kings” protest in California with his arm draped around a Democratic senator, Chris Murphy, thousands of miles away from his home state of Connecticut.Mr. Kimmel has made no secret of his disdain for President Trump and MAGA, and uses his program on ABC as a platform to attack Mr. Trump, his administration, and his supporters on a nightly basis. His appearance at the “No Kings” rally underscores how far his activism extends off camera. He also plays a major role in Democratic donor activities in Hollywood and actively campaigns for Democrats.Last week, he faced heavy criticism for suggesting that the secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin – who is not a college graduate – is unqualified for the job because he used to run his family’s plumbing and HVAC business before he entered politics. And as thousands took to the streets to protest the Trump Administration this past weekend, the late-night host was not afraid to be seen embracing a far-left Democratic senator, Chris Murphy.Kimmel poses with other ‘No Kings’ rally participants at the Torrance event. InstagramOn Saturday night, Mr. Murphy — a senator from Connecticut who is one of the most vocal opponents of Mr. Trump in the Senate — shared a picture of himself next to Mr. Kimmel, with the late-night host’s arm around his shoulder, with the caption, “Look who I ran into at the No Kings rally in Torrance, California.”Several users poked the two men for their picture. A conservative user, Daniel Padilla, asked, “Don’t they realize how asinine[the]optics of this is.”“Chris Murphy flies 2,500 miles from Connecticut to California for a ‘No Kings’ rally… and the highlight is posing with Jimmy Kimmel holding a crayon drawing of Trump in a crown saying ‘LIE LIE’. Bro, if you’re hunting kings, maybe start with the ones skipping Senate work to do celebrity photo-ops in deep-blue safe spaces. Enough Already’ indeed, enough of this clown show,” another user said. The full-sized image of Kimmel and Murphy shows Kimmel holding an anti-Trump sign. @ChrisMurphyCT on XAnother X user wrote, “Jimmy Kimmel used to be funny. In reality, he’s nothing more than a talking head making noise . Sad to see him fall so far.”In December, Mr. Kimmel signed a one-year contract extension as his contract was set to expire in May — a growing number of TV personalities have signed short-term extensions in anticipation of salary or job cuts as media insiders predict that networks will seek to slash costs amid the decline in linear television. Mr. Kimmel’s extension comes after his future at ABC briefly appeared to be at risk last fall, after he was suspended for suggesting that a “MAGA gang” was responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.The suspension lasted for roughly a week, but ABC brought the late-night host back to the air even as two of America’s largest station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, said they would not broadcast his show due to what they said were his insensitive comments. Nexstar and Sinclair soon relented, however, and decided to air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” without any apparent concessions from ABC. Jimmy Kimmel (L) is being denounced for making fun of Markwayne Mullin (R) for being a former plumber. ABC / Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesIt was an indisputable victory for Mr. Kimmel. Since then, he has doubled down on ridiculing Mr. Trump and MAGA, seemingly unafraid of the potential for ABC to take his show off the air again.A media watchdog group, the Center for American Rights, filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over his off-air support to Democratic candidates. The CAR noted several instances where he donated to Democrats or sent out a fundraising email for a candidate that he later interviewed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” without informing his audience of his support for his guest. In June 2024, he emcee’d a fundraiser for President Biden at Los Angeles that included guests such as President Obama and George Clooney. In October 2024, Mr. Kimmel campaigned for Democrats in Nevada – where he grew up – which, unlike California, is a battleground state.Jimmy Kimmel thanks volunteer workers at a Las Vegas Democratic coordinated campaign canvass launch with Senator Jacky Rosen on October 21, 2024. Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesAnd while Mr. Kimmel has fundraised for Democrats, they have supported him. After ABC pulled him from the air, Mr. Murphy introduced the “No Political Enemies Act,” which would “create a specific defense for those who are being targeted for political reasons” that would fund attorneys’ fees for individuals allegedly targeted for their speech. The bill also would create penalties for government officials accused of using their authority to censor speech they do not like.Mr. Murphy also criticized CBS’s decision to cancel the show of its anti-Trump late-night host, Stephen Colbert, a cancellation Mr. Murphy called politically motivated. CBS has said it was “purely” a financial decision. However, in an example of the difference between Democrats’ relationships with Mr. Kimmel and Mr. Colbert, the Connecticut senator did not introduce legislation after the latter was fired.

‘Enough of This Clown Show’: Jimmy Kimmel Mocked for Posing With Democratic Senator Chris Murphy at ‘No Kings Rally’ in California

More from the New York Sun

Little-Known ICE Program Quietly Turns Away Sex Offenders at Foreign Borders, Even During Shutdown

After Years of Preparation, America’s Military Is Executing a Brilliant Campaign Against Iran

What the AfD and Spain’s Socialists Have in Common

More from the New York Sun

Little-Known ICE Program Quietly Turns Away Sex Offenders at Foreign Borders, Even During Shutdown

After Years of Preparation, America’s Military Is Executing a Brilliant Campaign Against Iran

What the AfD and Spain’s Socialists Have in Common

Could the Supreme Court Deliver a Surprise on Birthright Citizenship?

Iran Undermines Lebanon’s Attempts at Confronting Hezbollah

‘Democrat Propaganda Mouthpiece’: Politico Criticized for Tapping Ex-Assistant to George Stephanopoulos as Its Top Editor

Citing Opaque Security Laws, Turkey Puts Christian Foreign Residents on Notice

Army Investigating Apache Helicopter Flyby Over Kid Rock’s Nashville Mansion