Jimmy Kimmel told his late‑night audience that the United States is only nineteen days from a presidential claim that the upcoming midterm elections were rigged, even as the president’s own approval rating has sunk to a historic low. The host highlighted a cascade of setbacks for Donald Trump, from dwindling Truth Social traffic to scepticism about his new press secretary, Katie Zacharia.
Poll Numbers and Media Reaction
Kimmel pointed out that Fox News, once a favoured outlet for the president, now predicts Democrats will flip the House. He quoted the network as saying Republicans have received “very bad tidings from the fake liberal media.” A fresh poll cited by Fox places the president’s approval rating at 36 %, the lowest ever recorded for him, while Truth Social traffic has fallen 30 % year‑on‑year. Kimmel joked that the president appears to be the sole poster on the platform and himself the sole reader, remarking, “He seems to be the only one who posts to Truth Social… And I seem to be the only one who reads those posts on Truth Social. It’s really just the two of us.”
Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Under Scrutiny
Turning to the administration’s communications team, Kimmel mocked the new press secretary’s legal credentials. He said, “It turns out that Katie Zacharia is an attorney in the same way George Santos was a volleyball champion,” noting that Zacharia has not confirmed when or where she passed the bar exam. The Wall Street Journal reported she failed the California bar after graduating from law school in 2011. Kimmel added, “His press secretary is supposed to be answering questions about his lies, not hers!” and suggested the hire was motivated less by expertise and more by personal convenience, referencing a helicopter ride with Zacharia and a fellow assistant.
Trump’s Rally Rhetoric and Social Media Oddities
The host observed that despite the online slump, Trump continues to draw modest crowds on the campaign trail. He recalled a rally where the president mused, “Is the camera like, statutory? Is it like a statue, you cannot move it?” Kimmel responded with a quip about the word “statutory” being a term learned from Jeffrey Epstein. He also noted that Trump’s sons, Donald Jr and Eric, have abandoned Truth Social, with Don Jr silent for two months and Eric inactive since July, prompting Kimmel to comment, “His own stupid sons have forsaken him!”
Controversial Execution Livestream Plan Cancelled
Kimmel wrapped up his segment by addressing the president’s decision to scrap a proposed livestream of a military execution. Trump had called off Pete Hegseth’s plan to broadcast the firing‑squad death of Nidal Hasan, the former army major responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, saying “many very good and well‑meaning people would rather not watch him die.” Kimmel explained that Trump had second thoughts after realising Hasan is wheelchair‑bound, joking that the president worried about selling ads on a live stream of a paralysed man and questioned the profitability of such a broadcast. He concluded with a sarcastic wish that the same mercy might be extended to the president’s “new future former press secretary.”
Why it Matters
Kimmel’s monologue captures a growing bipartisan unease about the president’s credibility as the midterms approach. While late‑night comedy often exaggerates for effect, the underlying data — declining approval ratings, faltering social‑media engagement, and scrutiny over key staff appointments — reflect genuine vulnerabilities that could shape voter sentiment. The episode underscores how media narratives, poll numbers, and personnel choices intersect to influence public trust in the electoral process, making it a salient moment for both parties to reassess their strategies ahead of the vote.
