Jimmy Kimmel has taken aim at Donald Trump, mocking the former president over claims made in a new book that suggest Trump is experiencing mental decline. The book, “Apprentice in Wonderland,” written by Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh, delves into the behind-the-scenes happenings of the reality show “The Apprentice,” which Trump hosted from 2008 to 2015.
During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Setoodeh shared his experiences interviewing Trump, describing the process as “challenging” due to Trump’s “meandering and confusing” stories. Setoodeh noted that Trump often repeated himself and shared anecdotes filled with inaccuracies. One particularly bizarre claim that went viral was Trump’s assertion that comedian Joan Rivers voted for him in 2016, despite her passing away in 2014.
“So he’s right. Dead people are voting!” Kimmel quipped, referencing Trump’s debunked election fraud claims. “Maybe she voted with her Ouija board.”
Setoodeh recounted a moment during one of his interviews with Trump when the former president seemed to believe he still held presidential powers. Trump excused himself from the interview, claiming he needed to handle “the Afghanistan.” Kimmel joked, “That’s gotta be his code word for the toilet, right? I gotta make the Afghanistan.”
Kimmel expressed concern over Trump’s mental state, saying, “It’s very scary to think that the guy who was telling us to inject bleach into our veins is just now deteriorating mentally. That would mean that when he was drawing in Sharpie on the weather maps he was fine.”
Kimmel’s reference to the “Sharpiegate” controversy recalls an incident in September 2019 when Trump incorrectly included Alabama in the list of states likely to be affected by Hurricane Dorian. Despite corrections from the weather service, Trump doubled down on his claim, even showing a weather map altered with a black marker to include Alabama.
Kimmel and Trump have a long-standing feud, with the comedian frequently criticizing Trump on his show. The animosity between the two has played out publicly, with Trump often responding on social media. During the Academy Awards in March, Trump criticized Kimmel’s hosting skills on Truth Social, the platform he founded after being banned from Twitter.
“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars,” Trump wrote. “His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be.”
Trump suggested replacing Kimmel with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, whom he has sued for defamation. Kimmel responded by reading Trump’s post aloud to his audience, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
In April, Trump continued his attacks on Kimmel, calling him “Stupid Jimmy Kimmel” and accusing him of suffering from “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” Trump claimed Kimmel’s performance at the Oscars was a “CLASSIC CHOKE” and criticized him for not saying the traditional line, “AND THE WINNER IS.”
Kimmel responded by dubbing Trump “Ranta Claus” and mocking him for confusing him with actor Al Pacino, who presented the Best Actor award during the 2024 ceremony. “We are different people,” Kimmel said. “Now don’t get me wrong, I wish I was Al Pacino, I’m just not.”
Setoodeh’s book, “Apprentice in Wonderland,” sheds light on Trump’s cognitive issues, with Setoodeh describing Trump as “meandering and confusing” during their interviews. Despite interviewing Trump multiple times, the former president did not remember Setoodeh, leading to further concerns about his mental state.
The Trump campaign has denied these allegations, dismissing Setoodeh as “a nobody and insignificant” and claiming that Trump did not remember him because he “never made an impression.”
