On Wednesday, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel turned his attention to the partial government shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security and the negative repercussions it has had on TSA workers and air travel. Predictably, Kimmel portrayed the shutdown fight as one between Democrats, who simply want people to make their flights, and Republicans, who “want ICE agents to be able to wear masks when they shoot us.”
Kimmel began by setting the stage, “The situation has become so dire for those who aren't being paid. Airports are asking travelers now to bring TSA agents gift cards for food so they can eat, for real. They're going to have to start selling the weed they confiscate pretty soon.”
Jimmy Kimmel summarizes the Homeland Security shutdown as "Democrats want people to be able to make their flights. Republicans want ICE agents to be able to wear masks when they shoot us." pic.twitter.com/vI5ryrjqwq
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) March 19, 2026
He then turned to the politics of it, “We're now on day 33 of this standoff. Democrats want people to be able to make their flights. Republicans want ICE agents to be able to wear masks when they shoot us. And no one will budge. And now they might have to close airports, which would be terrible, but if they do have to close airports, it would be super great if the first one they close is the one they named after Trump in Palm Beach, right? It seems fitting.”
Of course, the reality of the shutdown is the opposite. Democrats demanded this shutdown to try to leverage DHS and ICE to make certain changes. Republicans would have been content to pass a simple budget and have airports operate as normal.
Then there is Kimmel’s use of “shoot us.” Who is “us”? ICE shot two people in Minneapolis: Renee Good was driving her car at an officer who had previously been attacked by a motorist, while Alex Pretti had a gun himself. However, Kimmel wants to equate the Minneapolis protestors with the thousands of people murdered in Iran, so an exaggerated use of “us” is required to advance the narrative.
Here is a transcript for the March 18 show:
ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!
3/18/2026
11:37 PM ET
JIMMY KIMMEL: The situation has become so dire for those who aren't being paid. Airports are asking travelers now to bring TSA agents gift cards for food so they can eat, for real. They're going to have to start selling the weed they confiscate pretty soon.
But you know what, I'll say something about our men and women in the TSA. You don't sign up to work at the TSA to make money, you do it because you love loudly reminding strangers to put their laptops in a bin.
We're now on day 33 of this standoff. Democrats want people to be able to make their flights. Republicans want ICE agents to be able to wear masks when they shoot us. And no one will budge. And now they might have to close airports, which would be terrible, but if they do have to close airports, it would be super great if the first one they close is the one they named after Trump in Palm Beach, right? It seems fitting.
