Jimmy Kimmel gleefully roasted Trump’s midterm convention on Wednesday, focusing on the empty seats in the arena where the president held his rally in Texas. The clip shows Kimmel analyzing the number of vacant chairs while Trump insisted the room was packed, despite video evidence to the contrary.
Kimmel opened by asking if there could be a better metaphor for the presidency than Trump bragging about crowd size to a nearly empty hall. He then joked about the moment a child might step forward and tell the emperor he has no clothes, comparing the arena to a Waymo vehicle.
“This is what happens in North Korea,” Kimmel said. “It is really terrifying that this is the news that some people are getting exclusively.”
Empty Seats in Texas
The rally drew attention because of the low turnout. Kimmel pointed to the irony of a president boasting about support while the venue looked half-empty.
He framed the spectacle as a direct parallel to Trump’s broader political style. A leader who brags about popularity while the crowd is thin, he suggested, is exactly the kind of contradiction that defines this presidency.
The Waymo Comparison
Kimmel’s comparison to Waymo is a clever twist. He likened the arena to a Waymo vehicle — a driverless car that operates without a human behind the wheel.
The joke lands because Waymo is a brand known for autonomous vehicles. Comparing an empty stadium to a driverless car draws a stark image of a system operating without substance.
The North Korea Warning
Kimmel closed with a warning about the broader context. He described the rally as a frightening echo of authoritarianism, saying it was terrifying that some people were getting their news exclusively from this kind of spectacle.
The comparison to North Korea is blunt. Kimmel is suggesting that Trump’s rallies operate on the same logic as a dictatorship, where the leader’s word is treated as truth regardless of reality.
How the Clip Is Structured
The clip follows a clear structure. Kimmel first plays a segment of Trump insisting the room was packed. He then analyzes the footage himself, pointing out the obvious emptiness. Finally, he delivers his jokes about the emperor and Waymo before ending on the North Korea warning.
The format lets Kimmel build his argument in stages, moving from the factual footage to the comedic analysis to the serious warning.
Key Facts Box
- Event: Trump’s midterm convention in Texas
- Date: Wednesday
- Host: Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Comparison: Waymo self-driving vehicles
- Quote: “This is what happens in North Korea”
What the Source Says
The source describes the clip and its content but does not report its reception. It notes that the rally drew attention because of the low turnout, and that Kimmel’s jokes provide a different perspective for viewers who only saw the clip.
Source: mashable.com