Posted in: ABC, Comedy Central, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: Jimmy Kimmel, jon stewart, opinion

ICE/Minneapolis Shootings Bring Anger, Tears to Late Night on Monday

Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart brought a range of emotions to late-night, addressing ICE, the recent shooting death of Alex Pretti, and more.

Emotions were running understandably high heading into Monday night's late-night lineup, and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! host Jimmy Kimmel and Comedy Central's The Daily Show host Jon Stewart brought a range of tears and rage to their opening monologues and commentary during their respective shows. Their target was the Trump Administration and the ICE agents working for Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security, calling out the government over the shooting death of 37-year-old Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents over the weekend, the recent shooting death of Renee Good, and the reports of violence that have come in from Minnesota and other U.S. cities.

"I'm hearing there may be some grainy Zapruder-like footage from — I don't know — every angle imaginable that contradicts the government's version of events," Stewart shared with his audience and viewers on Monday night, targeting the shifting narrative from Trump's White House and the DHS regarding what led to Pretti's shooting death. From there, Jordan Klepper joined the segment to drive home the point that The White House is continuing to gaslight the tragedy, despite what millions have seen on a number of videos. On the topic of Republicans defending Pretti's shooting death because he had a legally-owned gun on him (a gun that video shows he never attempted to use), Stewart went after their willingness to throw the 2nd Amendment under the bus for Trump. "Are you saying … that the guns are the problem?" Stewart asked at one point, adding, "I wasn't shocked when you guys gave up the First Amendment, and I wasn't shocked when you gave up the Fourth Amendment, and the 10th Amendment, and the 14th Amendment at Trump's behest, but the Second? Isn't that kind of the load-bearing law of the 'Don't Tread on Me' flag? Your snake's down to a newt… C'mon, guns are your whole personality."

Shifting to a quieter, more direct tone, Stewart ended by adding, "To add insult to injury is the denial of the reality that we all witnessed. They're lying. We saw it. And that's how brazen they lie when they know we've seen the truth. That's how they lie when they know we know. Imagine how they lie when there's no evidence to contradict them. And maybe, that more than anything, explains why Alex Pretti really was a threat; because he was brandishing a weapon: a handheld, aluminum 1080p 60fps weapon of mass illumination. Because there is nothing more dangerous to a regime predicated on lies than witnesses who capture the truth."

Kimmel hit the brakes on the jokes for his opening monologue, spending the majority of it addressing the recent shooting in Minneapolis and the wave of violent ICE activity that we've seen over the past twelve months. "I spent the weekend, like probably a lot of you did – looking at my phone – and just feeling shocked – and sick – about what is happening in Minneapolis," Kimmel began to start his opener, which would see Kimmel break down in tears twice. "One video after another. Screaming people being torn from their families, Americans – people who were born in the United States — being pulled out of their cars for the crime of having an accent or whatever, children – small children, babies — being tear-gassed, taken into custody, separated from their parents. Just one atrocity after another, being committed by this gang of poorly-trained, shamefully-led, mask-wearing goons. And that is what they are – they're goons committing vile, heartless, and even criminal acts. And it's sickening to watch, and it's frustrating to watch. It's like we're all being forced to play a game that has no rules. They just make up the rules as they go along."

Kimmel continued, "We see these videos – in which we clearly see one of our fellow Americans executed by ICE – and they won't even admit that it was a mistake! They say the Honda SUV Renee Good was driving was 'weaponized', they say the gun Alex Pretti had a license to carry in an open carry state – a right many of these same people screamed very loud about when it was Kyle Rittenhouse carrying the gun – a gun that Alex Pretti did not even draw, did not touch, a gun that was taken from him by one of the agents – before he was shot dead by the other ones. They fired ten times onto an ICU nurse, they're telling us, 'well, it was justified, you know?' Is that the law and order that you voted for, if you voted for this? Every day is a nightmare now. My wife and I have family in Minneapolis. They're afraid to take their kids to school. They're afraid to go to work. And I can only imagine how people who aren't white feel about this! How does this end? What's the plan here? Is the plan to just keep doing this in every city that didn't vote for Donald Trump? Does anyone on any side believe this is good leadership?"

The late-night host then addressed the issue of finding common ground, arguing that the right to legally protest without fear of violence or death should be something that unifies everyone on the political spectrum. "We keep saying we need to find subjects that we can agree on. Can we agree that peaceful protestors – including moms driving SUVs on their way back after dropping their six-year-old off at school and a nurse who stepped in to protect a woman from harm – don't deserve to be shot dead in the street by the people we are paying to protect us? Can we agree on that? Can we agree that when we see a person murdered in cold blood, that there should at least be an investigation of that?" he noted, receiving applause once again from the audience. "And that our ironically titled 'head of homeland security' has the responsibility to get facts before telling us that what we saw, we did not see? If we can't agree on that, forget it then."

"Let's cut the bullshit already. If that was ISIS, instead of ICE, we'd be firing missiles at somebody and pledging allegiance to the flag all together right now," Kimmel noted later during his opener. "Watch that video, watch every angle, as upsetting as it might be, and decide for yourself if that's making America great. And if it isn't, please say something about it. This has to stop. And I'm convinced now that the only people who can stop it are on the right. I know it takes a lot of courage to go against your 'tribe' or whatever it is, but that's what we need, we need some decent people on the right to show some courage – and some common sense," Kimmel continued, receiving more applause from the audience. "And if our leaders aren't even trying to reduce the amount of chaos in the street rather than exacerbating it, if our leaders are intentionally creating and encouraging violence and fear, then I hope you will also agree, we need new leaders. Because these are not leaders."

Kimmel closed his monologue with some personal messages to those most impacted. "And to the people of Minneapolis – to the Pretti family and the Good family and these people who were looking out for their neighbors, we want you to know that we are with you and you are not alone. I'll tell you another thing — we also want to see those Epstein files already." Before seguing to the start of his late-night show, Kimmel had this to say about Pretti: "Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse who treated veterans, which is about as patriotic as it gets." Through tears and after airing a video of Pretti, he added, "Alex Pretti, may he rest in peace."

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