In the lead-up to next week’s US midterm elections, late-night television hosts have highlighted controversies surrounding former President Donald Trump, his family, and Republican efforts to question the integrity of the voting process.
On Tuesday’s broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host focused on new developments involving Donald Trump Jr. and his association with Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch linked to President Vladimir Putin. Kimmel noted reports that Trump Jr. and Kremlev went on a hunting trip in Mongolia last August, during which Trump Jr. reportedly shot an endangered Altai argali sheep. Kimmel characterized the relationship as a potential national security concern, given Kremlev’s ties to Russian intelligence, and questioned the implications of the president’s son socializing with a known Kremlin-connected figure.
Kimmel also addressed the midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress. He criticized Republican claims that Democrats might engage in voter fraud, pointing to actions by the Trump administration, including the Justice Department’s deployment of thousands of employees to monitor vote counting. Kimmel suggested the Republican stance risks undermining confidence in the electoral system and highlighted Trump’s own comments indicating he would only accept election results he deems “honest,” which critics interpret as conditional acceptance based on which party wins.
Separately, on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the host expressed skepticism about the upcoming elections, drawing attention to incidents such as a Republican congressional candidate in Iowa presenting Trump with an unofficial "man of the century" award. Meyers satirized the homemade nature of the accolade and remarked on other statements by Trump, including a false claim that his uncle invented radar and his proposal to rename New Mexico as “New America.”
Both hosts used their platforms to emphasize concerns about Republican strategies to discredit election outcomes and to lampoon statements made by Trump and his allies. These developments come amid heightened tensions around voting rights and election administration ahead of what many view as a critical juncture for control of the US Congress.