Black-ish star Anthony Anderson stepped up as guest host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live following the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Monday evening. During his monologue, Anderson pleaded for less “vitriol” in political rhetoric, urging people to “take a step back from the hatred and vitriol in our politics.” Despite this call for civility, Anderson quickly attacked Trump’s vice presidential running mate, J.D. Vance, accusing him of having no qualifications for the role beyond his race.
Anderson opened his show by expressing his surprise at hosting a late-night talk show following such a significant event in American politics. He quipped, “I wonder what Jimmy Kimmel is going to say about this on Monday? And then I was like, oh, I am Jimmy Kimmel on Monday,” according to Variety.
The actor urged the audience to avoid conspiracy theories related to the assassination attempt and to maintain their sanity during these turbulent times. He referred to a left-wing conspiracy movement called “Blue-Anon” as an example of the outlandish ideas circulating online.
However, despite his plea for restraint in political discourse, Anderson took aim at Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s newly announced vice-presidential running mate. The actor, who has built a career on discussing race, accused Vance of having no qualifications to run for vice president other than being white. Vance has everything that Trump is looking for in a running mate,” Anderson stated. He’s white. He’s…well, that’s pretty much it. He also looks like Eric and Don Jr. had a baby.
In reality, J.D. Vance has led a far more impressive life than Anthony Anderson. He survived an abusive childhood in a broken home and went on to join the U.S Marine Corps in 2003, earning several medals during his service in Iraq. After leaving the military, Vance graduated from Yale Law School and wrote the best-selling book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which shed light on the opioid epidemic in Appalachia. In 2020, the book was adapted into a movie directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close. Vance then successfully ran for the U.S. Senate from his home state of Ohio.
In contrast, Anderson has faced multiple investigations for sexual assault between 2004 and 2018. In 2023, he was ordered by a Los Angeles court to relinquish his firearms in a divorce case. While Anderson called for a reduction in animosity in political discourse, it appears his actions may not be fully aligned with his words.