Jimmy Kimmel has branded Donald Trump “disgusting” for his response to the California wildfires.
The star was the latest late-night host to question the president-elect’s comments on the fire that have claimed dozens of lives since breaking out in the Altadena and Pasadena areas of Los Angeles.
Days after Seth Meyers condemned Trump for making inaccurate claims about the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, Kimmel was left irate by the politician’s decision to blame the firefighters who have been working tirelessly to put the blazes out.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social feed: “The fires are still raging in LA. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place... they just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?”
Find all live updates on the California fires here
To this, Kimmel said on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (13 January): “I don’t want to get into all the vile and irresponsible and stupid things – our alleged future President – and his gaggle of scumbags chose to say during our darkest and most terrifying hour.
“The fact that they chose to attack our firefighters – who apparently aren’t white enough – to be out there, risking their lives on our behalf is… it’s disgusting. But it’s not surprising.”
Kimmel choked back tears at the start of the show, calling it a “very scary, very stressful, very strange week here in LA”.
He continued: “It’s been terrible. Everyone who lives in the city knows someone, most of us, multiple people, families, friends, colleagues, neighbours, whose house is burned down, and the truth is we don’t even know if it’s over.”
Kimmel praised the emergency workers, many of whom were drafted in from different states, who jumped to action, stating: “I think I speak for all of us when I say it has been a sickening, shocking, awful experience but has also been in a lot of ways, a beautiful experience.
“Because once again, we see our fellow men and women coming together to support each other. People who lost their own homes were out volunteering in parking lots, helping others who lost theirs.”
He added: “You know, over most of the last week, we’ve seen some very upsetting images, but we’ve also seen countless examples of courage and compassion from our neighbors under literal fire.” Kimmel then showed footage of such uplifting stories.
The catastrophic fires have torched more than 40,000 acres; as of Monday morning (13 January), just 13 per cent of the Pacific Palisades fire was contained.
The Eaton Fire, which has burnt more than 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena, is 27 per cent contained.
