Jimmy Kimmel Blames J.D. Vance for Trump’s ‘Worst Moment Ever’ in Any Presidential Debate

Comedian and host, Jimmy Kimmel, didn't hold back in his critique of Donald Trump's performance against Vice President Kamala Harris at the presidential debate. Kimmel highlighted what he thought was "the worst moment of any debate ever"— Trump's weird claim about immigrants eating pets in Ohio. The debate that took place on Tuesday night and saw Trump make several outlandish statements. 

The Republican nominee declared, "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating – they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame." Kimmel was quick to mock this statement on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! the following night and recounted his 'liberal elite day.' He said, "I woke up, I ate a big cat for breakfast, and then I had a baby – then I had an abortion right after that. Then I went to pick up my kids from their mandatory transgender surgery operations after school, and now I'm back here spreading Marxist propaganda on TV," as per The Independent. 

The host didn't just ridicule Trump. He also pointed a finger at Trump's running mate, JD Vance, for spreading the baseless rumor. Kimmel said, "JD decided, 'I'm going to make this the centerpiece of every stump speech.' Then it wiggled its way into Trump's little brain and now this imbecile is forced to defend it constantly." The pet-eating claim has been thoroughly debunked by Ohio officials. They've stated there are no credible reports of such incidents. The rumor seems to have started in a Springfield Facebook group that warned locals about Haitian immigrants supposedly harming pets, as per CBS News.

In a mischievous move, Kimmel then shared Vance's office phone number with his audience. He jokingly urged viewers not to call and report Bigfoot sightings. "But if you did want to call JD Vance and say you saw Bigfoot," Kimmel said, "the direct line to his office is (202) 224-3353." The host couldn't resist one more jab and added, "But please don't, he's very busy. Last night he got a bunch of calls saying the sprinkles on Baskin Robbins ice cream makes you gay." Trump's debate performance was filled with other false claims too. He asserted yet again that Democrats support abortion after birth. He was also asked about a possible national abortion ban but avoided answering the question twice.

Kimmel summed up the debate by declaring Harris as the clear winner. He quipped, "Usually when Donald Trump gets a spanking like this from a woman, it's with a Forbes magazine." This was a nod to porn star Stormy Daniels' claim about spanking Trump with the magazine during their alleged affair, as per HuffPost. The late-night host wrapped by imagining how a first-time viewer might react to Trump's debate performance. "You'd be in shock," Kimmel said. "The Republican Party would have to close their headquarters and turn them into a Spirit Halloween store."