Jimmy Kimmel Delivers Tearful Plea to President Trump for Gun Control

Jimmy Kimmel gave an emotional monologue Thursday night in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, demanding that President Donald Trump take action after 17 people died in Parkland, Florida Wednesday.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live host parsed Trump’s remarks from the White House Thursday morning, admitting that there are some things Trump said he agrees with.

“We are all joined together as one American family, and your suffering is our burden also,” Trump said. “No child, no teacher should ever be in danger in an American school.”

“Agreed,” Kimmel said.

“No parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughters’ lives when they kiss them goodbye in the morning,” Trump said.

“Agreed,” Kimmel interjected. “So, I agree with both of those statements. And here’s what you do to fix that. Tell your buddies in Congress – tell Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio – all the family men who care so much about their communities, that what we need are laws, real laws that do everything possible to keep assault rifles out of the hands of people who are going to shoot our kids. Go on TV and tell them to do that.”

Kimmel paused for applause, then told Trump that this was the “common sense” he told us he would bring to the White House.

“It’s time to bring it,” Kimmel said. “We need it. Tell these Congressmen and lobbyists who infest that swamp you said you were going to drain, force these allegedly Christian men and women who stuff their pockets with money from the NRA year after year after year to do something now. Not later. Now.”

Kimmel also told Trump not to tell anyone that it is “too soon” to be talking about it, “because you said it after Vegas, you said it after Sandy Hook… you say that after every one of these – eight now – fatal school shootings we had in this country this year.”

“Children are being murdered,” Kimmel said to applause. Kimmel then pointed out that Trump likes to frame this as a mental health issue. However, last year, Trump repealed an Obama-era measure to limit guns from getting in the hands of those with mental disorders.

“So I agree this is a mental health issue, because if you don’t think we need to do something about it, you’re mentally ill,” Kimmel told the president.

“It’s amazing to me that if one illegal immigrant causes a car crash, we have to build a wall to keep the rest of them out,” Kimmel said. “Why are you looking for solutions to that problem and not this one?”

At the end of his monologue, Kimmel directed his viewers to Every Town, an organization hoping to end gun violence that provides information on how to contact your representatives in Congress.

“If they don’t listen, vote them out of office,” Kimmel said. “Whatever you do, do something.”

Photo credit: ABC