Jimmy Kimmel made a quip about Rudy Giuliani coming back from the “grave” just days before the former New York City mayor was hospitalized in critical condition.
“Last night, the former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of the United States rose from his grave to comment on the ongoing drama involving me,” Kimmel stated during his Tuesday monologue, referencing a poorly timed joke he made about Melania Trump looking like a “pregnant widow” at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner just before an assassination attempt on President Trump.
On his “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show, he shared a clip of Giuliani, 81, who criticized the comedian on his podcast, labeling him as “one of the most disgusting people in this country.”
Kimmel, 58, shot back, saying, “It’s painful to be called disgusting by a guy who once took off his pants in front of Borat’s daughter.”
Giuliani continued in the podcast clip, “Kimmel led people to believe he was hosting a White House Correspondents’ Dinner. I think he might have done it once—maybe just four people tuned in. He made his usual bombshell statements.”
Giuliani went on to claim, “This guy should really be a comedian. He also comes off as an incompetent jacka—.”
Kimmel responded quite pointedly, “It’s baffling that someone who once held a press conference outside a sex shop, who can’t seem to tell when cameras are rolling, and who has squid ink dripping from his hair, is calling anyone incompetent.”
“Is there a family member nearby ready to come take him home?” Kimmel added in a reflective moment.
Just five days later, Giuliani was announced to be hospitalized in serious but stable condition due to an undisclosed illness, as per his spokesperson.
The spokesperson said in a statement, “Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently hospitalized in critical but stable condition.”
Kimmel already faced backlash for his earlier joke about Melania Trump resembling a “pregnant widow.” Following the attempted attack on her husband and his administration during the dinner, she called for Kimmel’s resignation on social media.
A spokesperson for Melania Trump also reiterated the call for Kimmel’s dismissal, stating, “Kimmel should be fired. ABC should fire him immediately,” after Kimmel repeated the joke during Monday’s broadcast.
