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- Why Kimmel dismissed Trump’s “rigged” theory
- How the L.A. primary actually played out
- Trump’s remarks and Kimmel’s punchlines
- Steve Hilton’s contrasting outcome
- Kimmel’s jabs at Spencer Pratt after the loss
- Pratt’s response and the fire-damaged home
- Other voices weighing in: backlash and support
- Where and when viewers saw the exchange
Jimmy Kimmel turned a recent Oval Office claim by former President Donald Trump into late-night fodder, ridiculing the idea that the Los Angeles mayoral primary was engineered to block reality TV star Spencer Pratt. The host threaded sharp jokes through facts about the race and drew a sharp response from Pratt and conservative commentators.
Why Kimmel dismissed Trump’s “rigged” theory
On his June 10 monologue, Kimmel targeted a line of argument Trump raised after the June 2 primary. Trump suggested ballots were manipulated to keep Pratt out of the runoff. Kimmel found that notion implausible.
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“If they were rigging one race,” Kimmel said, they would also have to tamper with other contests on the same ballot. He used that inconsistency to mock the conspiracy.
How the L.A. primary actually played out
California’s system sends the top two finishers to the general election unless a candidate tops 50% in the primary. That math explains why Pratt failed to advance.
- Karen Bass — 34.30% (first place)
- Nithya Raman — 29% (second place)
- Spencer Pratt — 25.52% (third place)
Because none of the candidates passed 50%, Bass and Raman move on to November’s runoff.
Trump’s remarks and Kimmel’s punchlines
Trump singled out the gubernatorial vote to argue selective cheating. He claimed a Trump-endorsed Republican, Steve Hilton, only advanced because officials “approved” his result under pressure.
Kimmel played a clip of that Oval Office exchange and turned it into a comic beat. He emphasized the oddity that the governor’s contest on the same ballot was unaffected, calling the alleged scheme both “diabolical” and absurd.
- Kimmel noted the contradiction between targeting a single race while leaving others untouched.
- He told the audience the claim would be laughable in ordinary times.
Steve Hilton’s contrasting outcome
Hilton — a Trump-endorsed candidate in the California governor primary — did advance to the general election. Kimmel used that reality to undermine the allegation of selective fraud in the mayoral race.
Kimmel’s jabs at Spencer Pratt after the loss
Earlier in the week, Kimmel mocked Pratt’s pledge to leave Los Angeles if he didn’t win. The host wove irony and visual gags into the bit, then offered a faux solution: a U-Haul fully stocked for Pratt’s relocation.
The joke leaned on Pratt’s own promise and the idea that a public figure would follow through on such a dramatic threat.
Pratt’s response and the fire-damaged home
Pratt answered on X by sharing footage of his burned Palisades home from the 2025 fire. He wrote that he had nothing left to pack and pushed back against Kimmel’s quip about needing a moving truck.
In interviews leading up to the race, Pratt framed his candidacy as a last-ditch attempt to “save” L.A. He said failure would leave the city unlivable, using stark language to describe his stakes in the contest.
Other voices weighing in: backlash and support
Kimmel’s remarks drew vocal reactions on social media. Former View cohost Meghan McCain called the host “mean” and suggested his departure from the airwaves would be beneficial.
- McCain labeled the jokes cruel and urged a change in Kimmel’s platform.
- Pratt used his social account to rebut the moving-truck gag and to remind followers of his personal losses.
Where and when viewers saw the exchange
The segments aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which broadcasts weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m. ET. Kimmel blended clips from the Oval Office with on-stage commentary to build his punchlines.
