Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel interrupted his summer break to troll Senator Mitch McConnell after weeks of speculation surrounding the senator’s ill health.
The 84-year-old Kentucky senator shared a photo on Sunday in an effort to combat the growing speculation about his condition following reports that he was taken to hospital last month after a medical episode at his Washington, D.C. home.
He is joined by his wife, Trump’s former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, in the photo, and can be seen holding a copy of Sunday’s edition of the Washington Post.
In a statement, McConnell said he was briefly unconscious and taken to hospital after a fall, and confirmed that he had not had a stroke or heart attack or broken any bones.
“I can assure you that I’ve been a good patient. At my age, I tend to do what my doctors tell me to do. I’ve submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident. And I’m continuing to do everything they ask to speed my recovery,” the statement read.
The photo did little to satisfy critics, many of whom questioned his timing since its release came hours after the news that his fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had died.
Late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who has frequently criticized and clashed with President Trump and his allies in Congress, took time out of his summer vacation to troll McConnell while also referencing his own absence.
Kimmel, who has handed over hosting duties to a rotating cast of guest hosts this summer, including Tiffany Haddish and Rosie O’Donnell, is set to return to his desk in September.
In the meantime, he wanted his fans to know how well he was doing, and he included a dig at McConnell.
“For those who’ve been asking, I’m feeling great‚” he wrote on Instagram, attaching a photoshopped version of McConnell’s photo featuring his own head in place of the senator’s. Elaine Chao is still present in the photo.
Many of Kimmel’s famous friends commented on the photo, including television legend Henry Winkler, who wrote, “DIDNT Ask BUT soooo glad to know !! Actually didn’t know to ask.” Rep. Jasmine Crockett also praised the comedian, commenting a series of laughing emojis and adding, “you NEVER miss!”
Despite becoming a target of the White House and having his show temporarily taken off-air after the Trump administration took issue with a joke he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Kimmel has not shied away from criticizing the president and his allies.
Similar to his Instagram post trolling McConnell, Kimmel celebrated the president’s 80th birthday last month with another satirical post.
Referencing an infamous birthday note the president allegedly wrote for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Kimmel shared a birthday message for Trump contained in what was likely the outline of the president’s own physique.
“Happy 80th Donald! A pal is a wonderful thing,” the message read, a direct reference to Trump’s message to Epstein. “Happy birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
The president has repeatedly complained about Kimmel, regularly calling the comedian unfunny and suggesting he be fired.
In April, he accused Kimmel of calling for violence after the comedian jokingly said that first lady Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow,” only for a shooter to attempt to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner a day later.
“I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale,” the president wrote. “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
Days later, he called for Kimmel to be fired yet again, writing on Truth Social, “When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television?”
“People are angry. It better be soon!!!”
