Overview
- Kimmel, appearing on Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson's IMO podcast Wednesday, said discussing President Trump is "obvious and unavoidable" and that avoiding it would be "embarrassing" and "shameful."
- He pushed back on viewers who tell him to stick to jokes, saying his job is what he decides it is within what his employer allows.
- He cited George Carlin and Richard Pryor to argue political comedy has deep roots and questioned claims that Johnny Carson would have stayed silent today.
- He criticized MAGA figures for refusing to admit mistakes, calling that stance "the opposite of Christianity."
- Coverage broke along partisan lines, with left-leaning outlets emphasizing his defense of political commentary and right-leaning sites casting it as an attack on Trump supporters while reviving past controversies like a brief suspension last year and scrutiny over his Eric Swalwell booking.