The ABC host, in a somber monologue, recounted the "very scary, very stressful, very strange" week that Los Angeles had endured. He presented footage that highlighted the proximity of his studio to one of the fires, underscoring the severity of the situation.
According to Mediaite, Kimmel expressed the widespread impact of the disaster, stating, "Everyone who lives in the city knows someone, most of us multiple people — families, friends, colleagues, neighbors — whose houses burned down." His voice trembled as he added, "And the truth is we don’t even know if it’s over."
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Kimmel then shifted his focus to criticize Trump and his allies for their rhetoric targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the L.A. fire department. He expressed his disdain for the "vile, and irresponsible, and stupid things our alleged future president and his gaggle of scumbags chose to say during our darkest and most terrifying hour." Kimmel was particularly incensed by their attack on the firefighters, stating, "The fact that they chose to attack our firefighters — who apparently aren’t white enough to be out there risking their lives on our behalf — it’s disgusting but it’s not surprising."
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Kimmel chose to highlight the bravery of the firefighters, saying, "Instead, I want to focus on thanking those men and women."
This sentiment was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the studio audience, a testament to the respect and admiration for the first responders.
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While Kimmel largely avoided political commentary for the remainder of his 15-minute opening segment, he did take one more opportunity to challenge the Right. He referenced previous claims that the Democrats, particularly the far-Left, were somehow controlling the weather, saying, "Remember when hurricanes hit Florida a few months ago, and they were saying the Democrats, the far-Left, secretly controls the rain? I think we finally proved we do not."