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Jimmy Kimmel Addresses Drone Strike Threat Ahead of Oscars
With the 98th Academy Awards just days away and the U.S.-Iran conflict entering its second week, Jimmy Kimmel used his Wednesday night monologue to address the FBI’s warning about potential retaliatory drone strikes on California .
“The mood around the Oscars is a little bit tense this year,” Kimmel told his audience on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” . “You know, they beefed up security after the FBI warned law enforcement here in California that Iran is aspiring to launch a drone strike on the West Coast, which is where we all are right now” .
The comedian then delivered his signature blend of pop culture reference and deadpan humor: “Isn’t this how ‘Iron Man 3′ started? We can’t handle a drone strike. We barely survived the writers’ strike here, OK?” .
Kimmel was referring to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, which lasted 148 days and was the second-longest labor stoppage in the guild’s history .
Taking Aim at Trump
Kimmel didn’t stop at the drone threat—he pivoted to critique President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict and his potential reaction to a strike on California .
“And I hope these Iranians realize Donald Trump wants you to bomb us,” Kimmel said. “For him, that would be a win-win. He might even bomb us himself and blame it on you, OK? Just keep that in mind” .
The host noted that Trump lost California to Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, framing a potential attack as politically convenient for the president .
Kimmel later blasted Trump as “a disaster,” adding that those around the president are “too scared to bring up” that most Americans would like to see the conflict concluded .
Trump’s Kentucky Rally Distraction
Kimmel juxtaposed the serious threat against California with Trump’s behavior at a rally in Kentucky the same day .
“We have credible threats of retaliatory drone attacks on California, and this guy today is in Kentucky reminiscing about the way Obama went down the stairs,” Kimmel said, cutting to footage of Trump mocking former President Barack Obama’s gait .
Trump also endorsed YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul for political office during the same rally, prompting Kimmel to jab: “I wonder if Jake knows Trump got a note from his podiatrist to dodge the draft” .
Other Late-Night Jabs at the Iran Conflict
Kimmel has been a consistent critic of Trump’s military actions since the conflict began on February 28. In previous monologues, he coined the term “Operation Epsteino Distracto,” suggesting the war was a diversion from renewed scrutiny over Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein following the release of Justice Department files .
He also played clips of Trump from 2011 and 2012 predicting that Barack Obama would start a war with Iran—predictions Kimmel noted Trump himself has now fulfilled . After showing the clips, Kimmel exclaimed, “Nostradumb-ass has done it again!” .
A recent analysis by the Media Research Center found that 94% of late-night hosts’ jokes about the Iran airstrikes mocked the U.S. and its allies rather than Iran, with Kimmel mocking the United States 96% of the time .
The FBI Warning
The FBI’s warning, which Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Wednesday, advised state officials and law enforcement to prepare for the possibility of retaliatory Iranian drone strikes on the West Coast . The alert comes as the U.S. and Israel continue Operation Epic Fury, now in its 12th day .
For now, Kimmel and his late-night colleagues continue to find humor in an otherwise tense moment—with Kimmel summing up the absurdity: “Somehow we are in a bigger mess than last month and the month before that
