Kimmel, Pod Save America Muse About Government Shutdowns, Impeachments

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! was not, in fact, live on Tuesday, but the eponymous host could see that it was going to be a good night for the blue team. After taking some time to gloat during his monologue, Kimmel welcomed the cast of Pod Save America to strategize about what Democrats should do beginning in January, and the talk naturally led to urging Democrats shut down the government and pursue impeachment if not of President Trump, then Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

During his monologue, Kimmel retorted, "Democrats took so many seats, JD Vance can't even find one to have sex with him tonight. Trump spent the day at the White House watching coverage, watching Fox News trying to give himself an insurrection. Word from the White House is he's already ran out of dipping sauce containers to throw at the television set."

Jimmy Kimmel gloats, "Democrats took so many seats, JD Vance can't even find one to have sex with him tonight."

(1/3) pic.twitter.com/wbaZoFTohs

— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 4, 2026

While Tuesday was a bleak night for Republicans, the exception was Florida's Byron Donalds making history by becoming the state's first black governor, but for Kimmel, only Democratic historic wins were noteworthy:

Trump was reportedly angry and cursing as the reports came in. John Ossoff won the Senate race bigly in Georgia. He had a monster lead. They called that one very early. Also in Georgia, mayor of Atlanta, Keshia Lance Bottoms was up. She's the first black American female governor in history. James Talarico could become the first Democrat elected in Texas since 1988. He is up by a million with half of the votes counted. That's the good news. The bad news is Talarico might have to carpool with Ted Cruz in January. It's all looking good for Democrats.

Kimmel also hypes historic Democratic wins, but, of course, not historic GOP wins, "Also in Georgia, mayor of Atlanta, Keshia Lance Bottoms is the first black American female governor in history. James Talarico could be the first Democrat elected in Texas since 1988. He is up by… pic.twitter.com/oS5wR8A1Eo

— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 4, 2026

Even in victory, Kimmel couldn't help but spread some conspiracy theories, "At Trump's behest, the DOJ sent 1,000 election monitors, which are basically ICE agents in polo shirts to voting places around the county and you probably won't be surprise to learn, they were sent to predominantly Democratic areas. What are these election monitors looking for? They say they're looking for fraud. How do you spot fraud? What does fraud look like? Trump really did his best to put his little thumb on the scale for this. Alabama is using a map that intentionally discriminating against black voters. Mississippi instituted mandatory REO Speedwagon cover bands at all polling locations to deter black voters."

Later, during his conversation with the Pod Save America cast, Kimmel wondered, "He does care about the idea, though, that Democrats are going to be able to look into the nonsense he has been up to and start opening up these — perhaps opening up the Epstein files, we might finally get a look at that. All of the many interesting financial things he and his family are involved in. Like, if you were in Congress, what would be the number one, two, and three things that you guys would do in January when you take your seats?"

Even in victory, Jimmy Kimmel has to spread some conspiracy theories, "At Trump's behest, the DOJ sent 1,000 election monitors, which are basically ICE agents in polo shirts to voting places around the county and you probably won't be surprise to learn, they were sent to… pic.twitter.com/u88QkXuy4N

— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 4, 2026

Tommy Vietor urged Democrats to shut down the government and to, wittingly or unwittingly, put American troops in a disadvantageous position, "I would cut off funding to the Iran War before they even took office in December. In December, there will be a funding vote, and Democrats should say, 'We will not vote to fund the government unless you end the Iran War.' That'd be number one."

Vietor also insisted that "Number two would be rigorous oversight of everything. I would send out subpoenas on day one. The crypto company. The corrupt deals with the Saudis. Whatever Jared Kushner's doing. Don Jr.'s company. All of it. Day one."

Later, Kimmel welcomed to the Pod Save America cast to discuss strategy.

Tommy Vietor is already agitating for a government shutdown that would harm the troops, "I would cut off funding to the Iran War before they even took office in December. In December, there will be a… pic.twitter.com/D4kchgg9ZN

— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 4, 2026

After Dan Pfeiffer urged Democrats to pass legislation and not just conduct investigations, Jon Favreau demanded a complete cessation of judicial confirmations, "Donald Trump's never going to pass a law again, right. Losing the House, losing the Senate. That's it. If he loses the Senate too which he is very likely on track to do. Sam Alito retires. Clarence Thomas retires. There's no more judges from Donald Trump. No more Supreme Court justices. No more federal judges."

Jon Lovett then suggested that impeaching Trump might not be the best political move, so impeaching Hegseth for war crimes would have to do, "You know, there is a lot of debate about whether it is good politics to impeach Donald Trump or impeach Pete Hegseth, but they have committed impeachable offenses, and Pete Hegseth has. He is bragging about extrajudicial killings, bragging about the ways they are not respecting the rules of war, and so I think a debate about whether or not to impeach Pete Hegseth is a pretty good idea to me."

Kimmel conceded that Lovett might be right, but he wasn't happy about it, "Pete Hegseth, yeah. I would think there is probably some fear because he already did things that were certainly impeachable and warranted being removed from office and that didn't happen. And, in fact, it seemed to annoy the American public for whatever reason."

There is no way to sugar coat just how bad Tuesday was for Republicans, but if Kimmel and the Pod Bros want Democrats to spend the next two years impeaching officials for non-existent war crimes and taking their anger out on the troops by shutting down the government, they will find that the voters will reject them again in due time.

Here is a transcript for the November 3 show:

ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!

11/3/2026

11:57 PM ET

JIMMY KIMMEL: Democrats took so many seats, JD Vance can't even find one to have sex with him tonight. Trump spent the day at the White House watching coverage, watching Fox News trying to give himself an insurrection. Word from the White House is he's already ran out of dipping sauce containers to throw at the television set.

…

Trump was reportedly angry and cursing as the reports came in. John Ossoff won the Senate race bigly in Georgia. He had a monster lead. They called that one very early. Also in Georgia, mayor of Atlanta, Keshia Lance Bottoms was up. She's the first black American female governor in history. James Talarico could become the first Democrat elected in Texas since 1988. He is up by a million with half of the votes counted. That's the good news. The bad news is Talarico might have to carpool with Ted Cruz in January. It's all looking good for Democrats.

…

At Trump's behest, the DOJ sent 1,000 election monitors, which are basically ICE agents in polo shirts to voting places around the county and you probably won't be surprise to learn, they were sent to predominantly Democratic areas. What are these election monitors looking for? They say they're looking for fraud. How do you spot fraud? What does fraud look like? Trump really did his best to put his little thumb on the scale for this. Alabama is using a map that intentionally discriminating against black voters. Mississippi instituted mandatory REO Speedwagon cover bands at all polling locations to deter black voters

...

He does care about the idea, though, that Democrats are going to be able to look into the nonsense he has been up to and start opening up these — perhaps opening up the Epstein files, we might finally get a look at that. All of the many interesting financial things he and his family are involved in. Like, if you were in Congress, what would be the number one, two, and three things that you guys would do in January when you take your seats?

TOMMY VIETOR: I would cut off funding to the Iran War before they even took office in December. In December, there will be a funding vote, and Democrats should say, "We will not vote to fund the government unless you end the Iran War." That'd be number one.

Number two would be rigorous oversight of everything. I would send out subpoenas on day one. The crypto company. The corrupt deals with the Saudis. Whatever Jared Kushner's doing. Don Jr.'s company. All of it. Day one.

DAN PFEIFFER: At the beginning of the next year a trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts are going into effect. People are going to get kicked off of their food assistance. Rural hospitals are going to close. People are going to lose their health care. Democrats, they can't make Trump bring them back, but they can put this issue on the table. They can pass bills to reverse that, maybe bring some Republicans along, and put real pressure on him. 

You have to let the American people know that if you give us power, we are going to do more than investigate Trump. We should absolutely investigate the hell out of him, but we also got to show that — we're going to do what Trump didn't do and we're going to understand the lesson of the election and try to make people's lives easier and lower prices, give more people health care.

KIMMEL: Two things. What's one more?

JON FAVREAU: Donald Trump's never going to pass a law again, right. Losing the House, losing the Senate. That's it. If he loses the Senate too which he is very likely on track to do. Sam Alito retires. Clarence Thomas retires. There's no more judges from Donald Trump. No more Supreme Court justices. No more federal judges.

JON LOVETT: You know, there is a lot of debate about whether it is good politics to impeach Donald Trump or impeach Pete Hegseth, but they have committed impeachable offenses, and Pete Hegseth has. He is bragging about extrajudicial killings, bragging about the ways they are not respecting the rules of war, and so I think a debate about whether or not to impeach Pete Hegseth is a pretty good idea to me.

KIMMEL: Pete Hegseth, yeah. I would think there is probably some fear because he already did things that were certainly impeachable and warranted being removed from office and that didn't happen. And, in fact, it seemed to annoy the American public for whatever reason.