Kimmel Mocks Trump's Recycled Attacks on Democrats

Jimmy Kimmel criticized Donald Trump's Truth Social posts on the midterms, his claim about donating his presidential salary, and his warnings about migrant caravans.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Philanthropy

Kimmel Mocks Trump's Recycled Attacks on Democrats

During his November 13 monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Jimmy Kimmel said Donald Trump had lost his mojo and was repeating himself in recent Truth Social posts about the midterm elections. Kimmel compared Trump's attacks on Democrats to the saying 'They are rubber and you are glue.'

Why it matters

The monologue highlights a debate over presidential salary donations, with Kimmel noting that Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy also gave up their salaries, while Trump donated his first-term salary and only one paycheck in his second term. The exchange also reflects how Trump's warnings about migrant caravans continue themes from his campaign rhetoric.

Trump donated only one paycheck during his second term, while the presidential salary donations by Hoover and Kennedy are described without specified amounts. Whether Trump will make further contributions remains unconfirmed.

The players

Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel is an American late-night television host and comedian who hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump is the current President of the United States, who has frequently used Truth Social to post political commentary and policy statements.

The details

Kimmel said Trump was shrieking about caravans, ballrooms, and evil Democrats, and connected Trump's post that huge caravans are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico to his earlier campaign statements about MS-13. Kimmel joked that the caravans were lingering in Tijuana.

November 13, 2026: Kimmel delivers monologue mocking Trump's recycled political attacks on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Market Landscape

Presidential salary donations have a precedent going back to Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy, who gave up their pay while in office. Trump's first-term donation and single second-term paycheck place his actions within that same tradition of symbolic gestures.

Presidential salary donations can affect how voters evaluate a leader's public commitment to service. Readers interested in the political debate can compare the documented donations of past and current presidents.

The takeaway

Presidential salary donations are a recurring symbolic gesture, and comparing the specific amounts and timing across administrations gives a clearer picture than broad claims alone.