Jimmy Kimmel Roasts RNC Midterm Convention and Trump Cash Gifts

Late-night television hosts took aim at the Republican National Committee’s recent gathering in Dallas and controversial proposals targeting political figures.

Late-Night Comedians Target RNC Dallas Convention

Late-night hosts focused their monologues on the Republican National Committee’s underattended event in Dallas. Jimmy Kimmel remarked on ABC that the gathering served as the party’s first-ever midterm convention, suggesting it signaled deep anxiety among Republicans. Kimmel noted on ABC that party organizers are “very nervous about the midterms, and rightly so,” pointing to sagging approval ratings for Donald Trump and an increasingly unpopular war as key drivers of internal party scrambling.

Additional late-night programs weighed in with similar takes on the Dallas meeting and broader party strategy. Stephen Colbert highlighted low attendance figures on CBS, while Seth Meyers focused on what he characterized as a heavy Republican emphasis on culture wars over policy, according to reports.

Financial Disclosures and Personal Staff Gifts

Beyond the convention itself, reports indicate that Kimmel used his ABC monologue to address recent financial disclosures involving holiday cash gifts. Kimmel noted that Donald Trump gave a $45,000 cash gift last December to aide Natalie Harp, whom the host described as Trump’s “least secret admirer” who manages his iPad. Similar cash amounts were reportedly distributed to two other young female staffers in the office.

Kimmel offered sharp commentary on the disbursements, comparing the payments to compensation for personal services or babysitting fees before criticizing viewers for questioning the optics of an 80-year-old billionaire president issuing substantial holiday checks to select staff members. Jimmy Fallon also touched on the holiday transactions during his NBC broadcast, framing the disbursements as “babysitter” payments.

Culture Wars and Local Remembrances

The late-night broadcasts also addressed legislative and political friction surrounding municipal officials. Kimmel criticized Republican attempts to bar New York mayor Zohran Mamdani from 9/11 remembrance ceremonies. The host characterized the push to exclude the mayor as petty and un-American, reflecting misplaced priorities within the national political landscape.