Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made a surprise appearance in Larry David’s new HBO satire series over the Fourth of July weekend, joining a cast of longtime Trump critics in a segment that used America’s founding era to blast the current president.
Kimmel appeared in the July 3 episode of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America,” an HBO comedy executive produced by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The series, created by “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Larry David, uses fictional conversations with historical figures to satirize modern politics. Although Trump is never mentioned by name, the episode leaves little doubt about its intended target.
In one scene, the late Rob Reiner—who was killed last year—makes a posthumous appearance portraying George Washington. The nation’s first president explains why he is voluntarily stepping down after two terms and advocates for constitutional limits on executive power.
David’s colonial-era character interrupts.
“Well, what if there’s some a–hole in office, some narcissistic p— who doesn’t follow the Constitution?” he asks.
Washington responds by emphasizing the importance of the peaceful transfer of power before David imagines increasingly dire scenarios involving an abusive president.
It is at that point that Kimmel enters the scene.
“Come on, that could never happen,” Kimmel’s character says sarcastically.
When David’s character suggests otherwise, Kimmel continues the joke.
“Are you suggesting that the president would taketh the time to challenge anyone who dare make fun of him, as if he were a big baby? I don’t see it.”
The exchange serves as one of several thinly veiled references to Trump.
The cameo is hardly surprising given Kimmel’s years-long antagonistic relationship with the president.
The ABC host has become one of Trump’s most consistent critics, dedicating substantial portions of his nightly monologues to mocking the president and Republican policies. Trump has repeatedly fired back on Truth Social, calling Kimmel “seriously unfunny” and urging ABC to cancel his late-night program.
“When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television?” Trump wrote earlier this year. “People are angry. It better be soon!!!”
Their feud has only intensified in recent years.
Earlier this year, Kimmel sparked controversy after joking that First Lady Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow,” and days later, an armed man attempted to breach security near the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, prompting renewed scrutiny of increasingly inflammatory political rhetoric in entertainment.
Kimmel insisted the joke referenced Trump’s age rather than implying violence.
The comedian also found himself under fire last year following false remarks made after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Disney briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! while reviewing the incident before allowing him to return days later.
The HBO series also marks one of Rob Reiner’s final on-screen performances.
The project itself has generated attention because of the involvement of Barack and Michelle Obama.
For supporters of the series, the satire is a continuation of America’s long tradition of political comedy stretching back generations.
Critics, however, argue it reflects a broader trend in which Hollywood has become increasingly monolithic politically, with many productions functioning less as entertainment and more as vehicles for partisan commentary. Rather than appealing to audiences across the political spectrum, they contend, many celebrities now openly embrace activism that reinforces existing ideological divides.
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