Posted in: ABC, Opinion, Sports, TV, TV | Tagged: ESPYs, opinion, Shane Gillis

2025 ESPYS: Shane Gillis Takes on Trump/UFC, Jan. 6th, Epstein Files

During his monologue, 2025 ESPYS host Shane Gillis had something to say about Donald Trump/UFC, January 6th rioters, and the Epstein files.

In the interest of full disclosure, we've never been a big fan of comedian and actor Shane Gillis (Netflix's Tires) ever since all of that stuff went down with him and NBC's Saturday Night Live. Even after all of that, Gillis was invited back twice to host SNL. His first hosting gig left us wondering what EP Lorne Michaels saw in him to have him almost be a cast member of the long-running live sketch comedy and music series. His second hosting gig would actually prove to be a step backward, resigning ourselves to the fact that maybe Michaels was just wrong this time. That doesn't mean that the dude isn't funny, we just don't think he's the "Second Coming of Christ"-like funny like many of his fans make him out to be. But during his opening monologue to kick off the 2025 ESPYS on ABC and ESPN+, Gillis scored with a run of jokes that twisted the knife on Donald Trump, Dana White's UFC, and the January 6th traitors – before scoring with a Jeffrey Epstein joke at the end.

After spending years talking up the Epstein Files, campaigning about releasing them, and troting out binders that were supposedly the files for all of the press to see, Trump and his lackeys are now telling their followers that none of its exists, that they should move on from wanting to know who was partying with a pedophile, and anyone still obsessing over it isn't a real Trump supporter. Well, you can only imagine how well that's going over in the MAGAverse – and not helping matters was the report tonight that Trump's Department of Justice fired Manhattan federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, who worked on the Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean "Diddy" Combs trials.

"Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died," Gillis offered at one point during his opener. "Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted," the ESPYS host continued, adding, "Must've… probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let's move on as a country and ignore that." Here's a look at that moment from Gillis' opening monologue during tonight's 2025 ESPYS (with props to Awful Announcing for sharing the clip):

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