Jimmy Kimmel Finds the Silver Lining in Donald Trump’s White House Media Ban

President Donald Trump tried to exclude three news organizations from the White House, but Jimmy Kimmel found something to appreciate about the resulting coverage: nobody could hear him.

During the September 21 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host criticized Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which subsequently filed a federal lawsuit seeking to restore their access.

“They hurt his feelings, and so they’re not welcome in his house anymore,” Kimmel said before playing Trump’s explanation of the ban.

“There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,” Trump said. “Now, if they want to write them, that’s fine. But I don’t have to let them into my… into the people’s house.”

“He almost slipped and told the truth there,” Kimmel responded.

“It’s the people’s house!” he added. “It’s the people’s house that he knocked down without consulting any of the people.”

Kimmel also addressed reports that Trump aide Natalie Harp showed the president critical coverage before he announced the ban.

“Some reports say that the president of the president’s fan club, human printer Natalie Harp, showed him a bunch of negative coverage from political CNN and MS NOW, and that is when he made this decision to kick them to the curb,” Kimmel said.

The “human printer” nickname refers to Harp’s practice of supplying Trump with printed news stories.

“Poor Natalie Harp, can you imagine how many diapers she had to change after that incident?” Kimmel joked. “Let’s get you up on the koala changing table, sir.”

The White House also prevented CNN from completing its scheduled television pool assignment. ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC declined to substitute, leaving no primary network crew to record designated presidential events.

That included Trump’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new $13 million helicopter landing pad on the White House South Lawn. Footage showed Trump speaking while Marine One drowned out his voice.

“There was no microphone there, so nobody could hear him,” Kimmel said after showing the clip. “I have to say, I like him better this way.”

Kimmel called the ban “positively un-American” and emphasized that Fox News participated alongside the other four press pool networks in declining to replace CNN.

“Do you realize how far south someone has to go for Fox News to defend CNN?” he asked.