Kimmel mocks Trump’s shutdown threats, Hegseth’s ‘no fatties allowed’ policy

Late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel tore into President Trump over the government shutdown Tuesday night while also criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his speech decrying “fat generals” in the U.S. military.

“I was recently the victim of a government shutdown,” Kimmel, whose show was reinstated last week on ABC after a brief suspension, said Tuesday night. “They are reversable, I will tell ya that.”

Kimmel played a clip of Hegseth’s remarks to a group of military leaders, doctoring the footage to show an image of Trump eating a hot dog as the Defense chief spoke.

“He’s so awesome,” the comedian said of Hegseth. “Usually when a bunch of people gather in a large room for Pete Hegseth, it’s an intervention.”

The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host was taken off air last month over comments following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move came after pressure from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr against the network’s parent company Disney and its affiliates.

“I love the idea that Donald Trump is lecturing these guys on fitness. Listen up generals, the Pillsbury Dough President wants you to do pilates,” Kimmel joked. “If you get so fat you start breaking escalators, you are unfit to serve in the military.”

The late-night host was referring to an incident at the United Nations General Assembly last month when an escalator carrying Trump and first lady Melania Trump stopped and the two had to walk the rest of the way up. The president slammed the U.N. for the technical difficulties and called for an investigation.

Kimmel’s criticism comes a day after Hegseth, while addressing a crowded room in Quantico, Va., emphasized a need to stick to strict health standards and announced that every service member regardless of rank needs to take a physical fitness test and meet height and weight requirements biannually.