Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel dedicated a portion of his Wednesday, June 10 monologue to dissecting President Donald Trump's assertion that the Los Angeles mayoral primary was rigged against reality television personality Spencer Pratt.
The 58-year-old comedian highlighted what he characterized as fundamental flaws in the conspiracy theory Trump advanced during an Oval Office press conference. The president's claim centered on the notion that Democratic operatives manipulated only the mayoral portion of the ballot while leaving other races untouched.
"Somehow, the Dumb-ocrats rigged the ballots, but only parts that voted for mayor," Kimmel stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, according to Us Weekly.
The controversy stems from the June 2 primary results, which were finalized on Monday, June 8. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman secured second place and will advance to challenge incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in November's general election. Pratt finished third, eliminating him from contention.
According to official results from L.A. Vote, Bass captured 34.30 percent of the vote, Raman received 29 percent, and Pratt garnered 25.52 percent. Under California's electoral system, a runoff between the top two vote-getters proceeds unless a single candidate exceeds 50 percent in the primary.
Kimmel emphasized a critical inconsistency in the rigging theory: the same ballot that contained the mayoral race also included California's gubernatorial primary. In that contest, Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Steve Hilton successfully advanced to face Democrat Xavier Becerra in the November runoff.
During the press conference, Trump attempted to explain this discrepancy. "The only reason [Hilton] got approved, he got all the votes he needed, probably to be first place," the 79-year-old president stated, according to Us Weekly. "The only reason they approved Steve Hilton ... because the heat was on them. They're cheating dogs."
The late-night host responded with pointed sarcasm. "Wow, that is remarkable ... The votes for governor, they left untouched! It's diabolical! It's a miracle that people that are so incredibly stupid can be so incredibly smart at the same time," Kimmel remarked, as reported by Us Weekly.
He continued with additional commentary: "In a sane world, that statement [from Trump] would have been the moment where the nurse came in and put him to bed. But that's not the world we live in!"
This marks the second consecutive evening Kimmel has addressed Pratt's electoral defeat. On Tuesday, June 9, the comedian referenced Pratt's previous declaration that he would leave Los Angeles if he failed to win the mayoral election, offering the reality star a U-Haul truck to facilitate his departure.
Pratt responded on Wednesday via social media platform X, sharing footage of his former residence, which was destroyed in the 2025 Palisades Fire. "Jimmy Kimmel i guess you missed the part of the story i don't need a U-Haul...I have nothing left to pack," the 42-year-old wrote.
In a May interview with Us Weekly, Pratt clarified his position regarding his potential departure from Los Angeles. "I'm not doing this to lose, I'm doing this to win and save the city," he stated. "My point [was], if I don't win, L.A. is done, and it's not going to be livable. It's going to be out of a dystopian nightmare movie."
Kimmel's commentary drew criticism from former The View cohost Meghan McCain, who defended Pratt on social media. The 41-year-old called the television host a "mean, heartless b*****d" and suggested that "the day [Kimmel] is off air will be a better day for the country."
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on ABC weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET. The November general election will determine whether Bass, 72, or Raman, 44, will serve as Los Angeles mayor.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
