Jimmy Kimmel Recreates Trump's Nicki Minaj Gesture — and Regrets It

Monday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue went to some genuinely unexpected places — and Kimmel himself seemed a little surprised by where it ended up. The host took on Donald Trump's now-viral rally moment involving Nicki Minaj, attempting to physically recreate the presidential gesture for his studio audience, with hilariously cringe-worthy results.

The Rally Moment That Started It All

Over the weekend, Trump held a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, where Nicki Minaj appeared to campaign alongside him. During his speech, Trump made a pointed and very public comment about the rapper's figure, telling the crowd to stand her up so everyone could appreciate what he described as a particularly striking physical attribute. He then followed that remark with a combination of lip-licking, air-punching, and a pursed-mouth expression that immediately began circulating online.

Kimmel, never one to let a moment like that pass quietly, brought the whole sequence front and center on his show.

Kimmel Tries the Move — Twice

After rolling the clip for his audience, Kimmel gave the gesture his best shot. It did not go smoothly — which was, of course, entirely the point. The audience's laughter reportedly grew with each attempt, and Kimmel himself admitted the exercise was getting to him. "Honestly, I'm grossing myself out even doing it," he told the crowd. "Horny Donald is my least favorite Donald of all of them."

He then slipped into a Trump impression, calling out to "Nikki" and asking her to stand so everyone could admire what he called her "big, beautiful badonkadonk" — a line that landed firmly in the zone of absurdist political satire Kimmel has been mining for years. According to TheWrap, Kimmel also riffed on Trump's own silhouette, joking that the president is himself "an ass that you could really have a meal on."

The Biden Comparison

One of the sharpest moments in the monologue came when Kimmel flipped the scenario. What, he wondered, would Fox News do if Joe Biden had said something like that about Nicki Minaj at a rally? He imagined anchor Steve Doocy's reaction in particularly vivid — and very funny — terms. It's the kind of double-standard-calling that has made Kimmel a reliable fixture in the late-night political commentary space, especially as Jimmy Kimmel faces ongoing scrutiny over his approach to political content.

The White House Press Secretary Angle

Kimmel also flagged a separate — and frankly stranger — subplot: the idea, reportedly floated by the White House, that Minaj could potentially step into the role of press secretary following the departure of Katie Zacharia. Kimmel didn't let that one go without comment. "That's the Trump guarantee," he said. "However bad things are, he will find a way to make them weirder and worse."

It's a line that doubles as a pretty solid summary of the monologue as a whole.

Kimmel in His Element

If you've been keeping up with Jimmy Kimmel Live! lately, this kind of segment feels very on-brand — equal parts political heat and self-deprecating physical comedy. The show has had plenty of memorable desk moments recently, from Jacob Elordi discussing Euphoria's most shocking scene to Jelly Roll getting candid about his political views. But Kimmel doing his best — and worst — impression of a leering president in real time? That one's going in the highlight reel.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.