Jimmy Kimmel mocks Trump and Michael Flynn's 'insane and dumb' coup fantasies

published 2 June 2021

Jimmy Kimmel went to the beach over Memorial Day weekend, but he hopes "you remembered to remember what Memorial Day is about — those who gave their lives for our country," he said on Tuesday's Kimmel Live. It was a mixed bag for politicians. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), for example, was "goofed" into retweeting a photo of Lee Harvey Oswald by a user who then changed names to "Matt Gaetz is a Pedo," Kimmel said. "He got Mattfished."

Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, "took some unfriendly fire from some of those who do not enjoy her work," Kimmel said. "Conservatives, they really cranked the fake-outrage knob up to 11 after this tweet: She wrote, 'Enjoy the long weekend.' Of course, the MAGAverse was furious about this." He showed some examples. "It is amazing these people still appear in public after what went on for four years," he marveled.

"Trump's old pardon pal Michael Flynn, a man who admitted to lying to the FBI, who went to prison for it, appeared at what was essentially QAnon-Con this weekend, where he quite plainly supported an idea from a man in the crowd who asked, Why don't we just overthrow the government," like in Myanmar? Kimmel said. "After it was suggested that he be court-martialed for that remark, Flynn tried to walk it back," even though his comment was on video.

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"Maybe there should be a coup down in Myanmar-a-Lago," Kimmel said. According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, "Trump believes that he is going to be reinstated as president in August, after Arizona finishes that CyberNinja 'audit' of the election that they're doing." Trump promoting that coup fantasy "is so completely insane and dumb, it has to be true, it just has to be," he chuckled. "We'll know for sure it's true once we hear him deny it." Kimmel also interviewed a 2-year-old genius, and you can watch that below.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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