U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley’s resignation announcement shocked nearly everyone on Tuesday morning, and late-night comedians were not immune.
Some handled the announcement with graceful aplomb.
Others, not so much.
Haley is an unusual figure in the Trump administration in that she’s been lavishly praised by those of every political stripe, both in her capacity as ambassador and her former role as governor of South Carolina.
That did not stop the outspoken leftist late-nighter Jimmy Kimmel from taking a stab at her on his show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Tuesday night.
He began by suggesting that Haley was leaving to “spend more time away from Trump’s family.”
That, arguably, is a stab at President Donald Trump and a predictable one.
It went downhill from there.
After playing a video clip of Trump praising Haley and thanking her for her outstanding service, Kimmel said Trump’s praise was actually disguised appreciation for the ambassador’s not writing a book about him right away.
The book, Kimmel “joked,” would be titled “Haley’s Vomit: My Time with Trump.”
The mock-up of the cover displayed an unflattering photo of the ambassador alongside a photo of Trump in which he appears to be yelling.
Kimmel pointed out that Haley had told her staff that after two years, it was simply time for her to move on. Haley, of course, is a firm proponent of term limits.
Kimmel took a quick jab at Trump, saying, “Someone should tell Donald Trump that, right?”
Kimmel then moved along to an analysis of Haley laughing after President Trump expressed his hope that she would return soon in some capacity in his administration.
Related: Media Talking Heads Stunned by Nikki Haley’s Resignation
“She’s not ever coming back,” said Kimmel. “She might not even finish out that meeting.”
Kimmel eked one last “joke” out of the story of Haley’s departure, teasing the commander-in-chief about his high opinions of the skill sets of members of his own family.
“What are the odds that the most competent person in the world just happens to be my daughter?”
“I’m not sure there’s anybody more competent in the world, but that’s OK,” Trump had said earlier in the day, responding to reporters’ questions about whether first daughter Ivanka Trump might make a suitable replacement for Haley at the U.N.
If Twitter is any gauge — and it often is — the unnecessarily ugly bit was not well-received by the show’s fans.
The president added that although he believes she is ideally suited for the job and would be “incredible,” he would not want to be accused of nepotism.
If Twitter is any gauge — and it often is — the unnecessarily ugly bit was not well-received by the show’s fans.
The show’s tweeted clip garnered fewer than 50 “likes,” and only three retweets. The lone comment on the clip roundly chastised Kimmel’s jokes.
Your jokes are old. Surprised they haven’t taken you off the air yet.
— D Anthony (@82packfan) October 10, 2018
Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to LifeZette.
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