US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel struggled to hold back tears as he called Donald Trump’s election win a “terrible night”.
In his opening monologue, he said the choice was between a prosecutor and a criminal “and we chose the criminal”.
Kimmel described it a “really good night” for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, referencing concerns over America’s future support for Ukraine.
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Jimmy Kimmel is one of America’s most popular TV hosts. Pic: AP
And, becoming emotional, he said: “It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech.
“It was a terrible night for poor people, for the middle class, for seniors who rely on social security, for our allies in Ukraine, for NATO, for the truth, and democracy and decency.
“And it was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him. And guess what? It was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too, you just don’t realise it yet.”
Kimmel wasn’t the only US talk show host to express dismay at Mr Trump‘s comprehensive victory in the election.
Stephen Colbert began his show by saying: “Well f***, it happened again.”
He added: “After a bizarre and vicious campaign fuelled by a desperate need not to go to jail, Donald Trump has won the 2024 election. The deep shock and sense of loss is enormous.”
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Harris voters get emotional over Trump’s win
Seth Meyers was similarly scathing on his late-night NBC show.
“I don’t think Donald Trump’s a good person, I’d even go so far as to say he’s a bad person,” he said.
But the comedian said he had to accept the result as “half the country thinks he’s a good person or they don’t care that he’s not because they think he’s a good president”.
“That’s how democracy works in America. A country that is a privilege to live in,” Meyers added.
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Kamala Harris received numerous celebrity endorsements during her campaign, including from J-Lo, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey.
However, the power of these A-listers appeared to fall flat with much of the country as Ms Harris failed to win crucial swing states.
Mr Trump also had celebrity backers, most notably Tesla and X owner Elon Musk – who put big money behind his re-election bid – and podcast star Joe Rogan, who hosted Mr Trump on his show two weeks ago.