Portland has become a trending topic on late-night television, with both “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Daily Show” delivering comedic critiques of the situation surrounding the city, particularly in relation to President Donald Trump’s statements about antifa.
During his monologue on Thursday night, Jimmy Kimmel targeted Trump’s recent roundtable discussion on antifa, which featured Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem discussing an arrest related to the group. Kimmel expressed skepticism about the existence of antifa, saying, “You understand, there’s no antifa. This is an entirely imaginary organization. There’s not an antifa. This is no different than if they announced they rounded up a dozen Decepticons.”
Kimmel also took issue with Trump’s assertion that there are no stores left in Portland, stating, “I don’t know what’s scarier, the idea that he’s making this all up or that he actually might believe this stuff. There are no stores in Portland? It’s as if he’s getting his intelligence briefings from reruns of ‘The Walking Dead.’”
To illustrate life in Portland, Kimmel shared video clips sent in by viewers. One clip featured a Burgerville marquee that announced, “All new breakfast,” with a viewer commenting sarcastically about the supposed socialist agenda behind the new breakfast offerings.
On “The Daily Show,” Josh Johnson also humorously addressed the topic of antifa, recognizing that while some individuals identify with the movement, it lacks official organization. He quipped, “That’s tricky because, while there are people who identify as antifa, it isn’t really an official group. They don’t even have a website. Like, my cousin’s baby has its own website.”
Johnson further lampooned Secretary Noem’s visit to Portland by juxtaposing footage of a peaceful scene with a solitary protester dressed in a chicken costume, remarking, “OK, that doesn’t look that scary, but you have to remember how scary it is for her to encounter a farm animal when she’s unarmed.”
He contrasted the narratives surrounding Portland’s protests by showing clips of people dressed in dinosaur and unicorn costumes dancing at night. Johnson noted, “Listen, Trump, I’m trying to be an ally, but right now, I don’t really see dangerous criminals. I just see virgins.”
Johnson discussed the reality of conditions in Portland, suggesting that the turmoil may not warrant a significant federal response. “The rest of the city is completely normal,” he pointed out. “I mean, it’s still Portland. So it’s normal, but it’s like Portland normal. You know what I mean? Like, there will be a naked guy with a handlebar mustache riding a unicycle down the street. But that’s supposed to be happening, all right?”
In closing, Johnson likened antifa to Bigfoot, asserting, “I look at antifa the way I look at Bigfoot. It’s big, scary and tearing up the Pacific Northwest.” He concluded with a mock documentary about antifa, utilizing footage from William Shatner’s “The UnXplained” with added edits and voiceovers to enhance the comedic effect.
image source from：oregonlive
