Jimmy Kimmel knows why Trump was hugging that flag at CPAC

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live)

"Our president kept the crowd very warm at CPAC over the weekend," Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday's Kimmel Live. "CPAC, if you're not familiar, is basically what would happen if Judge Jeanine Pirro headlined the Fyre Festival — it's a lot of very angry white people. It is the largest gathering of people who believe vaccines are witchcraft in the world. And for two hours and two minutes, Donald Trump gave what I believe we may look back on as his 'I Have a Dream' speech."

"Trump went to one of his signature moves to start it, and I know there's a lot of competition, but this, I think, this might be the dumbest thing he does," Kimmel said, showing Trump's embrace the American flag. "Donald Trump shows more affection to flags than Eric and Don Jr. have ever gotten in their whole lives."

But like everything else with Trump, "there's always an angle," Kimmel joked. "Trump isn't just pandering to his base. The reason he's a flag-hugger is because that happens to be one of his most lucrative money moves." The Franklin Mint ad Kimmel's team threw together is sadly plausible.

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"The speech he gave, it covered every subject imaginable," Kimmel said. "At one point during the two-hour Don-alogue, Trump mentioned that he was speaking 'off-script,' like we didn't know that. Because if this was a script, it must have been written for Joe Pesci. ... He told jokes, he played characters, he cursed — all he needs is a few stories about growing up in the old neighborhood. This could be a Broadway show."

Kimmel also ran through some of the eye-popping allegations in a "new, new bombshell report from The New Yorker," including that Trump pressured the Justice Department to block AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner to hurt CNN, as well as the various forms of preferential treatment Fox News has given to Trump. Watch below. Peter Weber

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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.