Jimmy Kimmel has savagely responded to the White House’s suggestion that Donald Trump could be the perfect person to play the next James Bond.
The comedian, who is no stranger to mocking the President, couldn’t help but poke fun at Trump’s box office aspirations after the official White House social media accounts shared a mock-up of the President, complete with gun and silencer as an iteration of the beloved secret agent.
“The White House jumped on the crazy train and posted this, suggesting that Trump would be the next James Bond,” Kimmel, 58, said during his Monday, May 18 monologue. “Grab ‘em by the Octopussy, we got a new James Bond in town!”
“I think 007 is his approval rating right now,” he added. “Imagine a very unpopular president, in the middle of a very unpopular war, the cost of everything is skyrocketing, gas is very expensive and you are spending your time posting online about how hot you are, how you captured an alien and how you should be the next James Bond.”
During the same monologue, Kimmel also took aim at one of Trump’s latest Truth Social sprees in which he shared a doctored image of himself with a handcuffed alien, just one day after the White House’s official X account shared an image of Trump in a Bond-esque tuxedo and armed with a silenced handgun, alongside the caption, “Make America Great Again.”
While the likelihood that Trump will be the eponymous British spy is far-fetched at best, a return to the silver screen isn’t completely out of the question once he finishes his second term in office in 2029.
Under the current constitution, a president is only allowed to serve two terms, and while Trump has floated the idea of an amendment that could see him severe for another four years, no changes have been made.
Once he leaves however, he could hope to capitalise on his fame by returning to film and tv, after previously carving out a career for himself in The Apprentice, and various movie cameos such as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
As for who could become the next James Bond as part of Amazon’s reboot of the film franchise, that remains a complete mystery, but film bosses are said to be keen to hire an unknown British actor to bring the character to life for a new generation.
Over the years many big names have offered their own spin on the character, such as Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and most recently Daniel Craig - but a new face could be just the thing to help reinvigorate the beloved franchise.
Speaking about a potential casting update, Amazon MGM Studios said in a Thursday, May 14 statement.
“While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”
