ABC’s late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was widely expected to pitch softball questions to Tim Walz during his much-hyped appearance on Monday’s show. But the conversation with Kamala Harris’ running mate ended up being even lighter than that — a Wiffle ball game that featured little substance and an abundance of fanboy praise from Kimmel.
“You’re a real person, I felt like our fantasies conjured you up, like we need a really nice man to come in an help us,” Kimmel gushed.
By all appearances, Jimmy Kimmel delivered on his apparent assignment — to erase the recent memory of Tim Walz’s ineffectual vice-presidential debate performance and bring back the folksy grandpa image that seems to resonate with Democrat voters.
As a result, the bulk of the conversation focused at bizarre length on Walz’s time as a high school teacher, including his duties as cafeteria monitor and prom chaperone. Kimmel avoided asking about Walz’s decision to put tampons in boys restrooms. And policy issues that voters care most about including record-high consumer prices and unprecedented levels of illegal immigration received zero air time.
Kimmel even helped perform Walz’s dirty work for him by gently prodding the candidate to talk about January 6 and school shootings — topics intended to demonize their political opponents.
Walz concluded the interview with yet another one of his bumbling gaffes.
“I plan on waking up on November 6 with Madam President,” he said.
To which Kimmel replied: ““I just want to be clear with you that you won’t be waking up together, unless you guys have gotten closer than we thought.
Walz responded, “I have a problem with not being specific about everything.”
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at
