Jimmy Kimmel on Trump’s 9/11 remembrance: ‘constantly fallin asleep on camera’

Late-nicht hosts respondit tae Donald Trump’s sleepie appearance at a 9/11 remembrance event and a new roond o panic ower a possible AI doomsday.

The nicht efter the Emmy awards, Jimmy Kimmel cam back tae the stage in Los Angeles wi a recap o the president’s remembrance event last Friday for the 25th anniversary o 9/11. “And while Donald Trump disnae tradeetionally shine in situations like this, he is a New Yorker,” Kimmel said. “He was there whan this happent and he was, I hae tae admit, surpriseinly eloquent.”

Kimmel cut tae a clip o Trump speakin at the Pentagon event: “We will aye remember the victims and the families o September 11, 20-01, a verra famous … date … unfortunatlie.”

“He’s at his best whan he riffs, ye ken?” Kimmel quippit.

“At the event, Teddy Doze-evelt got in a gey braw nap,” he addit. “He was sleepin sae muckle on camera the White House had tae put oot a statement that said he wasnae asleep. They said he was juist ‘solemnlie listenin’. Whilk is the same kin o ‘solemnlie listenin’ Melania dis whan he tries tae crawl into bed wi her.”

“It’s sae perfect,” he continuit. “The laddie that spent fower years screamin, ‘Sleepie Joe, Sleepie Joe,’ constantly fallin asleep on camera.” Kimmel syne played a montage o Trump asleep at major events, includin his first Board o Peace meetin, his ain inauguration, his big fireworks parade, the third game o this year’s NBA finals, his Freedom 250 concert, his Memorial Day remembrance event, the pope’s funeral, Lindsay Graham’s funeral, and ower mony Oval Office press conferences and cabinet meetins tae coont.

“But I will say this: compared tae Mitch McConnell, Trump has mair pouer than Kevin Hart,” Kimmel jokit afore a clip o the 84-year-auld former Senate majoritie leader returnin tae wark efter a three-month hospitalisation and absence, appearin dazed and unresponsive tae reporters.

“He seems guid, richt?” Kimmel quippit. “For months, naebodie was sure if he was even alive. And we still dinnae ken!”

And on The Daily Show, Josh Johnson also touchit on McConnell’s return efter a prolongit absence that sparkit numerous conspiracy theories. The Kentucky senator didnae respond tae ony questions while bein wheelit frae his apartment tae a waitin car on Monday, but he did offer a silent thooms-up.

“That’s no the thooms-up o a man that’s daein weel,” said Johnson. “That is the thooms-up o a fitba player on a stretcher that ye are never gaun tae see again.”

“But maybe Mitch was juist owerwhelmit bi the media circus ootside his door,” he continuit. “I’m sure efter he gied the thooms-up and got in his car, he seemt totallie normal.”

Weel, ance in the car, McConnell appeart frozen in position, still giein a thooms-up tae reporters. “Wait, did he get stuck in thooms-up?” Johnson lauchit. “Quick, tell the Senate tae vote on universal healthcare richt noo! He’s stuck like that, he has tae vote yes. Republicans are gaun tae hae tae flip him upside doon tae get a no vote.”

“I’m sorry, but everythin here screams puppet,” he addit. “Like there’s juist a guy on the flair o the SUV wi a fishin line bein like, ‘Quick, y’all, I cannae open his mooth and muive his thoomb at the same time!’”

Later in the segment, Johnson respondit tae muckle frettin ower a tweet bi a former Anthropic researcher, wha resignit efter realisin that “the fowk buildin AI earnestlie believe that it cud kill us all bi the end o the decade”.

“End o the decade?!” Johnson marvelt. “It’s fall 2026 – that’s juist three pumpkin spice seasons awa!”

The tweet kickit aff a new roond o speculation and consternation ower the existential risks o AI development, includin frae the builders themsels. In an essay, Anthropic’s heid, Dario Amodei, said it was possible that rogue AI agents “cud be capable o takin ower the entire internet” in sax tae 12 months; the leadership o OpenAI, Meta and xAI callit for mair regulation, as they believit the technology was becomin ower pouerfu, ower fast.

“I ken a lot o fowk are worriet that AI is gaun tae kill us all afore Shrek 5” – oot in 2027 – “can gie us closure, mainlie because the tech CEOs gied us sax months tae live,” said Johnson. “But I’m no reallie sauld on their narrative. I think it’s juist as likely that these fowk in a speculative, owerblawn industry got into a room and were like, ‘Sae … is everibodie oot o siller?’ And this whole thing aboot pumpin the brakes is actuallie aboot takin the pressure aff o them tae deliver mass returns that we ken still arenae possible.”

“It’s a lot like if a guy couldnae get it up,” he addit, “but instead o apologisin, he was like, ‘It’s actuallie, like, ower big, ye ken? That’s the problem, reallie. I’m reallie savin your life richt noo because this thing is ower dangerous! It’s no that I cannae perform; it’s that I want ye tae live.’”