PoliticsJimmy Kimmel Reveals Hillary Clinton’s Warning About Donald Trump Before He Became President
Jimmy Kimmel has hosted his late-night show for 20 years.
April 16 2025, Published 11:29 a.m. ET
Jimmy Kimmel wasn't happy that Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016 — however, in a new interview, the comedian admitted that he believed having Trump in the running would be beneficial to Hillary Clinton, who ran against him as the Democratic candidate.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host welcomed Clinton on his late-night show months prior to the election, and during a commercial break, the host and former Secretary of State discussed Trump’s controversial bid at the White House.
The talk show host welcomed Hillary Clinton on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' before the 2016 election.
In the interview, the late-night host was asked when his "oh s---" moment was during Trump’s first run for office.
Kimmel responded to the news outlet: “It was 2016, and I had Hillary Clinton on. I said to Hillary during a commercial break, ‘I hope Trump gets the nomination. I think he'll be a slam-dunk for you.’ And she said, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ I'm not in the group of people who thought he might win."
Jimmy Kimmel comapred Hillary Clinton's warning to when he found out about O.J. Simpson being found not guilty of murder in 1995.
The comedian was so taken aback, he told Rolling Stone that Clinton’s caution was just as surprising to him as the outcome of the O.J. Simpson trial in 1995.
“Listen, when O.J. was found not guilty, I was just absolutely shocked,” Kimmel admitted. “I had that same feeling. I had this faith in America that was shaken, and I still am not over it. I thought that when it comes down to it, this country, we do the right thing. That's obviously in the past.”
Kimmel described how he was wrong about thinking his ABC show would serve as an informative place for politics.
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The late-night talk show host blamed liberals for having an influence on Donald Trump winning a second term.
“A year ago, I would've said I'm hoping to show people who aren't paying attention to the news what's actually going on, and hoping to change things that way,” he said. “Obviously, that didn't have enough impact before the election, so now I see myself more as a place to scream.”
Kimmel, whose talk show has been on air for 20 years, thinks “liberals viciously attacking comedians are a big part of the reason why Trump is the president right now.” But the ultimate reason he thinks Trump won a second term is strongly due to his fame.
Jimmy Kimmel said Donald Trump won a second term because he is a 'celebrity.'
“And when people ask me why they think Trump won, I really believe the reason, more than anything, is he’s so much more famous than [former Vice President] Kamala Harris. He is a celebrity,” Kimmel admitted. “He is a star. He is the most famous person in the world. And it’s hard to compete with that.”
