NEWSJimmy Kimmel Criticized for Roasting Marco Rubio's Vatican Visit: 'Crossed the Line'
Jimmy Kimmel joked about Marco Rubio’s Vatican meeting.
May 12 2026, Published 6:29 a.m. ET
Jimmy Kimmel’s latest monologue took aim at Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV, turning an otherwise formal diplomatic visit into a punchline and drawing criticism from those who say late-night comedy is veering into more divisive territory.
During the May 7 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host zeroed in on Rubio’s body language during the Vatican visit, mocking what he portrayed as an awkward and stiff interaction between the two men.
After airing a clip of Rubio shaking hands with the pope and posing for a photo, Kimmel quipped, “That’s what Marco calls vibing with someone.”
Jimmy Kimmel mocked Marco Rubio’s body language.
He compared the moment to “the chemistry of parents at their daughter’s wedding two months after the divorce,” before adding, “If that’s not a penance face, I’ve never seen a penance face.”
A Diplomatic Moment Turned Comedy
Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV amid diplomatic tensions.
Rubio’s visit to the Apostolic Palace came at a sensitive time.
President Donald Trump had recently criticized the pope following his comments opposing war with Iran, even falsely claiming the pontiff supported Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
The pope, for his part, reiterated his position, saying, “The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace.”
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The Vatican described the meeting as cordial.
Despite the political tension, the Vatican described Rubio’s meeting with the pope as “cordial,” noting a “shared commitment to fostering sound bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.”
Backlash Over Tone and Targets
Critics accused the late-night host of crossing a line with the jokes.
Body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass sharply criticized Kimmel’s approach, arguing the comedian crossed a line by targeting a diplomatic meeting.
“It was bad enough that Kimmel hates Trump so much and that hatred leaked over to Melania,” Glass said. “But when it leaks over towards the Pope’s visit with Marco in an attempt to make peace it crossed the line.”
Glass accused Kimmel of misrepresenting body language and using his platform in a “dangerous manner.”“It has become offensive and fomenting a divide,” she added. “Body language is both an art and a science and when you have a hater like Kimmel disseminating misinformation about body language it becomes dangerous.”
