President Barack Obama was both comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s main topic of discussion and guest on his late night talk show on ABC Thursday night, with topics in the opening monologue and sit-down interview ranging from softball questions about driving, seeing a dentist, and aliens, to substantive topics such as the letter 47 Republican Senators sent to Iran, Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, and Ferguson.
Near the top of his monologue, Kimmel addressed the GOP letter by joking that “there’s been some controversy surrounding Obama's appearance on the show” after he received “a letter from 47 Republicans telling me not to sign any deals with him, so I guess that peace agreement with Matt Damon is off.”
Again referring to the letter authored by Republican Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.), Kimmel suggested that the signers to the letter “are getting a lot of criticism, including from members of their own party,” but then turned back to mocking the letter:
[H]ere’s the thing. What are they supposed to do? The letter clearly said, copy this letter and send it to nine enemy governments or it will bring your country bad luck, they had no choice – you don't mess with St. Jude, is what I’m trying to say.
The President was not spared in Kimmel’s monologue, however. Both in the monologue and while interviewing him, the show host poked fun at Obama for taking yet another fundraising spin for the Democratic National Committee (DNC):
The cost of attendance at the DNC fund-raiser Obama is going to later is $33,400 per couple for dinner and that's with limited bread sticks. You know, the President really wants to raise money, he should throw on a superhero costume and take pictures with people in front of the Chinese theater across the street cause that's where the money is.
Early on in the interview portion with the President, Kimmel brought up Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal by asking him if “you have Hillary Clinton's new e-mail address?” Obama responding by shrugging that off: “I can't share it with you” because “I don't think she'd want you to have it.”
After Obama ranted about the Department of Justice report’s conclusions that Ferguson police and courts discriminated against African-Americans when it comes to traffic stops and issuing parking tickets, the interview took an interesting turn when Kimmel essentially brought up the point that even people like him face this problem:
I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. I mean, I get crazy, and I'm not joking, about when, like, I get parking tickets that I feel are unjust and to be put in a situation like that, I do, really, like, my wheels are not turned properly and I feel like they're just trying to make money off of me. It’s not – they're not obeying the spirit of the law.
Following a segment full of fluff and random questions about life in the White House, Kimmel brought up his fundraising travels and wondered why he was still doing this:
KIMMEL: I know you're here in town partially asking people for money, which seems like you should stop doing, you're only here another two years, who cares?
OBAMA: It is not for me. It’s for –
KIMMEL: I know it's not. Even more reason not to do it.
Obama shot back by resorting to the rhetoric he employed following his party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 midterm elections by lamenting that the reason for his fundraising for the DNC is because:
You know, we've got to keep folks going. There's going to be another election and the main purpose really is just to make sure the people turn out. The last election we had about one-third of eligible voters voting and, you know, just trying to work harder to figure out how we can get people engaged –
He capped things off by also turning to the argument that he, like so many Americans, are “so frustrated with Washington,” and why others (and not him) are responsible for gridlock:
But the point is that the reason Washington does not work is because two-thirds of – two-thirds of us, should be active, aren't active and as a consequence, special interests and big money ends up moving a lot of the agenda, driving gridlock.
The relevant portions of the transcript from ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 12 are transcribed below.
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live
March 12, 2015
11:36 p.m. Eastern
JIMMY KIMMEL: You know – thank you, there’s been some controversy surrounding Obama's appearance on the show tonight. On Monday, we announced the president would be here. This morning, I got a letter from 47 Republicans telling me not to sign any deals with him, so I guess that peace agreement with Matt Damon is off. The Republicans who signed they letter sent to Iran are getting a lot of criticism, including from members of their own party, but here’s the thing. What are they supposed to do? The letter clearly said, copy this letter and send it to nine enemy governments or it will bring your country bad luck, they had no choice – you don't mess with St. Jude, is what I’m trying to say.
11:39 p.m. Eastern
KIMMEL: Part of the reason why President Obama is here in town tonight is to do fund-raising. You know, he's very serious about helping Sasha and Malia sell all their Girl Scout cookies. The cost of attendance at the DNC fund-raiser Obama is going to later is $33,400 per couple for dinner and that's with limited bread sticks. You know, the President really wants to raise money, he should throw on a superhero costume and take pictures with people in front of the Chinese theater across the street cause that's where the money is.
(....)
11:53 p.m. Eastern
KIMMEL: Do you have Hillary Clinton's new e-mail address?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I can't share it with you. I don't think she'd want you to have it.
KIMMEL: She specifically mentioned that she did not want me to have it.
OBAMA: She said, you know what, you're going on Kimmel? If he asks for the e-mail address, no way.
(....)
11:57 p.m. Eastern
KIMMEL: I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. I mean, I get crazy, and I'm not joking, about when, like, I get parking tickets that I feel are unjust and to be put in a situation like that, I do, really, like, my wheels are not turned properly and I feel like they're just trying to make money off of me. It’s not – they're not obeying the spirit of the law.
(....)
March 13, 2015
12:13 a.m. EasternKIMMEL: I know you're here in town partially asking people for money, which seems like you should stop doing, you're only here another two years, who cares?
OBAMA: It is not for me. It’s for –
KIMMEL: I know it's not. Even more reason not to do it.
OBAMA: You know, we've got to keep folks going. There's going to be another election and the main purpose really is just to make sure the people turn out. The last election we had about one-third of eligible voters voting and, you know, just trying to work harder to figure out how we can get people engaged –
KIMMEL: We had an election here in L.A. last week, I think, and something like eight percent of the registered voters voted in it.
OBAMA: You know, I talked about this weekend at Selma. You know, you have folks who risked their lives to make sure we all had the right to vote and we give away our power all the time and you know, everybody's so frustrated with Washington, including yours truly.
KIMMEL: They're all so very busy with Facebook.
OBAMA: But the point is that the reason Washington does not work is because two-thirds of – two-thirds of us, should be active, aren't active and as a consequence, special interests and big money ends up moving a lot of the agenda, driving gridlock.
