In comedy, timing can make or break a joke, and Jimmy Kimmel’s latest jab has aged especially poorly.
Only days before Rudy Giuliani was reportedly taken to hospital in critical condition, the late-night host used his opening monologue to take aim at the former New York City Mayor, quipping that the 81-year-old had “risen from the grave” to comment on Kimmel’s current headlines.
The clash began after Giuliani addressed Kimmel on his podcast, calling him “one of the most distasteful human beings in this country,” in reaction to the host’s already-criticised joke about Melania Trump looking like an “expectant widow”. The gag drew extra backlash because it aired just days before an attempted assassination on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel, 58, didn’t soften his response. After airing the Giuliani audio on his show, he hit back by rattling off a string of Giuliani’s most mocked public moments.
“I have to say, it’s confusing to be called an incompetent jacka- by a man who accidentally held a press conference outside a dildo store, who doesn’t seem to have any understanding of when videos are running and when they aren’t, and has a gallon of squid ink dribbling off the top of his head,” Kimmel said, referencing the infamous hair dye incident, the Borat film, and the hot mic videos that have plagued Giuliani in recent years.
He wrapped the segment with: “Does this man have any family members who can come get him already?” Five days later, Giuliani was rushed to hospital.
A spokesperson for the former Trump attorney confirmed on Sunday that Giuliani had been taken to hospital and was in critical but stable condition, though they did not say what caused the emergency.
The statement said: “Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently in the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
“Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same level of strength as we speak.
“We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s mayor — Rudy Giuliani”
Giuliani isn’t the only figure now taking shots at Kimmel.
Melania Trump has also publicly pushed for him to lose his job after he revisited the “expectant widow” line on Monday’s show, despite the assassination attempt on her husband at the Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Kimmel should be terminated. ABC should fire him now,” a spokesman for the First Lady told the New York Post, with Melania herself demanding his ousting on social media.
For his part, Kimmel appears to be holding his ground, with no indication he plans to walk anything back.