Kimmel Compares Trump to Maduro Amid Venezuela Military Action

During a recent broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, comedian Jimmy Kimmel sharply criticized former President Donald Trump, drawing a provocative comparison between Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This comparison came in the wake of a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife by Delta Force operatives. The operation was reportedly monitored by Trump from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Kimmel’s commentary highlighted the timing of the military action, suggesting it served as a distraction from damaging documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. “President Trump said his New Year’s resolution this year is peace on Earth, and that lasted for just under 2 days,” Kimmel remarked at the start of his monologue. He continued, “If you were wondering how bad these Epstein files are for Trump, turns out they invade Venezuela bad.”

The comedian referenced the 1997 political satire film Wag the Dog to illustrate his point, saying, “This is literally the plot of the movie Wag the Dog. The president gets caught in a sex scandal, so he attacks a smaller country to distract us, and here we are distracted.” Kimmel described how Trump observed the unfolding operation “in real time from the bunker in his basement at Mar-a-Lago” alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Kimmel also criticized the military operation itself, humorously suggesting the mission’s name “was definitely generated by Chat GPT.” He acknowledged the complexities of the situation, stating, “After months of escalation, Trump decided Maduro had to go, and yes, he’s a criminal and a dictator who’s driven his country into financial ruin while he and his family have lined their own pockets, but Maduro is no saint either.”

The landscape of late-night television has changed dramatically in recent months. Notably, NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers eliminated its house band in 2024, and CBS canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in the previous year. Kimmel himself has faced controversy before; in September 2025, he made headlines for comments regarding the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. His comments drew backlash from supporters of Trump, leading to calls for the cancellation of his program. In response to the controversy, ABC suspended the show for six nights, while some affiliates, including those of Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group, chose not to air certain episodes.

Kimmel’s latest remarks have once again stirred the pot, highlighting the intertwining of entertainment and politics in contemporary media as public discourse continues to evolve.