Late-Night Hosts Joke About Trump's Midterm Deals and a Russian-Funded Wedding

Late-night TV hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Josh Johnson used their shows this week to poke fun at some big political stories. Kimmel talked about President Trump's plan to offer $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans win the upcoming midterm elections. Johnson covered news that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants troops to look a certain way, and that a Russian billionaire helped pay for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding.

On his show, Jimmy Kimmel pointed out that Republican lawmakers left Washington early to avoid voting on whether to remove Pete Hegseth from his job as Defense Secretary. Kimmel said they also skipped an earlier vote about releasing certain government files. He joked that Republicans are 'very good at dodging votes.'

Kimmel then focused on Trump's $5,000 offer to Americans. He noted that the money would only be given out if Republicans win the midterm elections, which he called strange and unfair. He also pointed out that Republicans often criticize the idea of giving people government money, so making this kind of offer seemed hypocritical, or like saying one thing while doing another.

The host also had sharp words about how he thinks Trump is handling the country. He said that even people who expected Trump to do a poor job in his second term have been surprised by how badly things have gone. Kimmel joked that Trump is doing a worse job running the country than some famous bad parents from the news.

Kimmel also talked about a fight between Trump and the Kennedy Center, a famous arts building in Washington. A judge recently ruled that Trump cannot put his name on the Kennedy Center building without permission from Congress. Trump responded by threatening to block the building's planned renovations if the court ruling isn't overturned. Kimmel said Trump was 'holding the building hostage.'

On The Daily Show, Josh Johnson reacted to reports about Pete Hegseth's unusual requests for troops. Hegseth reportedly wants soldiers at his next speech to have specific body measurements and very neat grooming, which means clean and tidy appearance. Johnson joked that it sounded less like choosing soldiers and more like casting for a TV dating show.

Johnson also brought up news about Donald Trump Jr.'s recent wedding. Trump Jr. married a woman named Bettina Anderson on a private island in the Bahamas this spring. The event was reportedly paid for by Umar Kremlev, a Russian billionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlev reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the island rental and several parties with performers.

Johnson pointed out that the Trump family is worth billions of dollars, so it seemed strange that they would accept such an expensive gift. He said it looked like corruption, which means abusing power or trust for personal gain, just for the fun of getting something free. He compared it to other reports of the Trump family accepting gifts, like a private jet from the country of Qatar. The jokes drew big laughs, but also raised serious questions about the Trump family's connections to foreign money.