JIMMY KIMMEL GETS POLITICAL
Ratings soar as late-night host talks health care, gun control
Jimmy Kimmel is headed home again.
The late-night host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (weeknights, 11:35 ET/PT), who was born in Brooklyn and raised in Las Vegas, takes his show to his birthplace for a third time this week with a guest lineup that includes Billy Joel and David Letterman, making his first latenight appearance since retiring from the Late Show in 2015.
Kimmel, 49, hit a four-month ratings high this month thanks in part to impassioned calls for universal health care and gun control. He sat down with USA TODAY to chat about upcoming shows and his political bent.
Q You have a great lineup with Amy Schumer, Howard Stern and Tracy Morgan. Who’s the most unpredictable guest? A Oh, as far as unpredictability goes, Tracy has that cornered. Tracy’s a friend of mine, so we spend a good amount of time together. ... I’ve had a number of experiences with him. Most of them, he winds up taking off his shirt in a public place.
Q You said on Good Morning America last week that you’d like to have Donald Trump on your show.
A I just feel like if he was surrounded by a lot of good people, we’d be in a much better position. I think he’s a people pleaser. ... I think he’s the sort of man that will say whatever gets a big cheer. And if people were cheering for things like universal health care and real action on climate change, he would gravitate toward those things.
Q Who else in politics would you like to invite on the show?
A I would be interested in interviewing Mike Pence, for sure. Not that he’d be candid, but I’d love to know what’s going on.
In a way, I think he’s the most interesting character in this whole story, just the position he’s put himself in.
Q Universal health care is a very personal issue for you because of your son (who was born with a congenital heart defect). But how do you decide when to get political?
A A lot less thought is put into it than you might imagine. I don’t really consult with anyone, other than my wife. ... I woke up in the morning and found out what happened in Las Vegas, and I knew that would be what I’d be talking about. Some things are obvious and some things aren’t. When your son has an openheart surgery, that’s obvious; when your hometown is attacked in the way that Vegas was, it’s obvious. It’s just a matter of feel, really — what feels right.
Q Do you ever worry about alienating viewers?
A I don’t worry about that kind of stuff. I feel that’s the wrong way to approach comedy and being on television. I’ll leave that kind of thing to big corporations.
Q How has your role as a late-night host changed since Trump was elected?
A My philosophy, if I have such a thing, has always been to give my take on the news of the day. It just so happens that our president is a very interesting character and is dominating the news, and will sometimes do three or four remarkable things in a day’s times. I wish he would slow down a little, because it’s hard keeping up with him.
Q Have any of the reactions to your more political segments surprised you?
A Yeah, there’s been a lot of negativity when it comes to gun control. I guess it’s to be expected, although until you’re really on the other end of it, you don’t realize. ...
But as far as on health care, what surprised me more than anything was how many people are similarly affected. ... Even when I spoke about children’s hospitals, the amount of money that people donated was so impressive and meaningful. For me, I feel like, thank God some good came out of that situation.