Jimmy Kimmel knows why Trump was hugging that flag at CPAC


"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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"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
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?
The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate branding
In the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play