Jimmy Kimmel took aim at President Donald Trump on Tuesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the president made a puzzling claim about Middle Eastern geography.
During a press briefing, Trump suggested that Iran and Qatar are close enough to walk between. In reality, the two countries are separated by the Persian Gulf, with the closest point across the water approximately 119 miles. Kimmel quipped, “Unless you’re Jesus, you cannot walk there.” The remarks came days after Trump received praise for brokering a Gaza ceasefire and ahead of his visit to Israel on October 12.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Kimmel’s jab comes amid a long-running, highly public feud with the president. Viewers were surprised to see him mock Trump just weeks after his show was suspended over remarks about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month.
ABC initially announced Jimmy Kimmel Live! would go “off air indefinitely,” but it returned five days later, resuming episodes on September 23. The host's continued satire amid these tensions underscores the clash between entertainment, political commentary, and presidential sensitivity, highlighting the cultural significance of late-night comedy in American discourse.
What To Know
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, Trump claimed that Qatar and Iran were “within walking distance,” while praising Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, calling him an “amazing man.” He added, “Other countries are there, but they’re an hour or hour and a half away, big difference. You can literally walk over from Iran to Qatar. You go ‘boom boom’ and now you’re in Qatar. That’s tough territory.” The statement drew immediate attention online for its factual inaccuracy.
Kimmel’s Sharp Response
Kimmel seized the moment for satire, highlighting the impossibility of Trump’s claim. “One can perhaps swim 150 miles, but unless you’re Jesus, you cannot walk there,” he said. He also mocked the president's use of an oversized Sharpie to sign the Gaza ceasefire, joking, “Trump took part in a signing ceremony, the first U.S. president to sign a ceasefire agreement with a Sharpie the size of a subway sandwich.”
Kimmel further poked fun at Trump’s self-proclaimed Middle East expertise and ridiculed his habit of exaggerating accomplishments in foreign policy.
Return to the Spotlight
Kimmel’s remarks came shortly after his brief suspension, marking a quick comeback that allowed him to continue critiquing Trump while navigating heightened tensions between late-night hosts and the president. The incident demonstrates how quickly late-night comedy can pivot to respond to real-time political events.
Trump has repeatedly targeted late-night hosts. He previously said, “[Stephen] Colbert has no talent. [Jimmy] Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent.” The latter has remained undeterred, using humor to hold the president accountable and entertain viewers, reinforcing the role of satire in American political culture.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump: "You can literally walk over from Iran to Qatar. You go ‘boom boom’ and now you’re in Qatar. That’s tough territory,”
TV host Jimmy Kimmel: “One can perhaps swim 150 miles, but unless you’re Jesus, you cannot walk there.”
What Happens Next
Kimmel’s ongoing jokes highlight debates over leadership, credibility, and the role of humor in politics, while raising the question of how the president might respond to the critiques. He has even suggested he might use his Italian citizenship to leave the U.S. if tensions under Trump’s administration escalate.
