Jimmy Kimmel can’t stop and won’t stop discussing serious topics surrounding the country on his late-night show.
“To me, it just seems obvious and unavoidable, and I just can’t imagine on those nights talking about anything other than what we are talking about,” Kimmel, 58, shared on the Wednesday, April 15, episode of the “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” podcast. “I give a lot of credit to my colleagues for doing the same thing.”
Although viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! can count on celebrity guests and musical performances, the host often discusses politics and breaking news during his monologue.
“I think it would be embarrassing if we didn’t talk about this stuff,” he shared with podcast cohosts Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. “It would be shameful.”
While Kimmel acknowledges that he doesn’t think everyone has a responsibility to speak out, the Emmy winner said his comedy has always been about addressing topics around him.
“My job — I’ve always said since the very beginning — is to talk about what is going on in people’s lives,” he shared. “These are things I take very seriously.”
His humor and topics haven’t always been met with applause and laughs. President Donald Trump is a vocal critic of Kimmel. In September 2025, his show was also temporarily suspended for his controversial jokes about Charlie Kirk‘s death.
When returning to his show, Kimmel said it was never his intention to make light of the murder of a young man, adding, “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
Kimmel pictures a day when his monologues won’t be filled with heavy topics about worldly issues and politics.
“I wish we didn’t have to do it,” he shared. “I hope there’s a day we don’t have to, and we can go back to fun.”
Until then, he has one ask for fans and critics alike: Don’t tell him what his job is.
“Comedians have been doing this for a long time,” he shared. “I love telling jokes. I love being funny. I love when the audience laughs. There’s nothing more exciting to me than that.”
And for the record: Kimmel may be a Democrat, but the comedian has many close friends who have completely different beliefs.
“I’ve never voted for a Republican in my life,” he said. “I don’t mind if people think differently. I have some very close friends who think very differently.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on ABC weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET. Stream past episodes on Hulu.
