Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Donald Trump and JD Vance over their reactions to Taylor Swift’s public endorsement of Kamala Harris following Tuesday’s (September 10) fiery presidential debate.
During Wednesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host celebrated Swift’s surprise Instagram post announcing that she would be voting for Harris in November.
“She signed it with a shot at JD Vance: ‘With love and hope, Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady’,” Kimmel shared, quipping: “Good work JD, you really screwed the sofa bed with this one.”
The Ohio Senator, 40, has faced consistent mockery over fake claims that he admitted to having relations with a sofa in his best-selling book, Hillbilly Elegy.
The joke was exacerbated by a since-retracted fact-check article by The Associated Press titled, “No, JD Vance did not have sex with a couch,” which prompted a barrage of memes on social media.
Kimmel then shared a Fox News interview clip of Vance arguing that most Americans are not going to be “influenced by” Swift, “a billionaire celebrity who I think is fundamentally disconnected…”
Pursing his lips in disagreement, Kimmel said: “You mean a disconnected billionaire celebrity like your running mate Donald Trump? The one who has a skyscraper with his name on it?”
Moving on to Trump, who later responded to Swift’s endorsement by saying he wasn’t a fan of the pop star, Kimmel delivered some “bad news.”
“His granddaughter, Arabella, Ivanka [Trump’s] daughter, two months ago had a Taylor Swift cake for her birthday,” the host shared. “So eat that, Grandpa.”
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Kimmel continued to lampoon Trump’s campaign, saying: “Luckily, they don’t need Taylor Swift. They’ve got some pretty darn talented singers in their own family.”
His comment is in reference to the former president’s 41-year-old daughter Lara, who was mercilessly mocked last year after she performed a rendition of her cover of Tom Petty’s 1989 song “I Won’t Back Down” on Sky News Australia.
“How about quiet down? Can you do that?” Kimmel said.
He continued his pile-on by reading Elon Musk’s “creepy” statement offering to give Swift a “child and guard your cats with my life.”
“[It’s a] statement so creepy it could be Trump’s running mate, JD Vance,” Kimmel noted.
Just minutes after Harris and Trump wrapped their first presidential debate, Swift shared her support of the former on Instagram.
“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” the “Anti-Hero” singer wrote.” If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most,” she wrote. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”
Swift said: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
The superstar’s declaration has since been backed by a slew of celebrities, including This Is Us’s Mandy Moore, Jennifer Aniston, music legend Stevie Nicks, Oprah, and Charli XCX.