{"id":5149,"date":"2026-07-13T16:10:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T11:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=5149"},"modified":"2026-07-13T16:10:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T11:10:47","slug":"jimmy-kimmel-pops-up-to-parody-mitch-mcconnell-photo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=5149","title":{"rendered":"Jimmy Kimmel Pops Up to Parody Mitch McConnell Photo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"post-body\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5677780 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/am13.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-1200x657.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-768x420.jpg 768w, https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-1536x841.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-2048x1121.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jimmy Kimmel<\/strong> briefly emerged from his summer hiatus to mock Senator <strong>Mitch McConnell\u2019s<\/strong> (R-KY) hospital-bed \u201cproof of life\u201d photo with a parody, assuring fans that he too was \u201cfeeling great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The late-night host, who has been off the air since beginning his annual summer break on June 18, took to Instagram on Sunday after McConnell shared his first public update since he was hospitalized on June 14.<\/p>\n<p>The longtime GOP senator had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/media\/news\/just-in-sen-mitch-mcconnell-shares-health-update-with-new-hospital-photo\/\">posted<\/a> a photograph of himself in a hospital bed holding a newspaper, with his wife, former Transportation Secretary <strong>Elaine Chao<\/strong>, sitting beside him. The image appeared intended to reassure constituents following weeks of growing concern and speculation online about his health after his hospitalization, including claims <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/media\/news\/where-is-he-mitch-mcconnell-speculation-ramps-up-to-11-after-trump-pal-laura-loomer-floats-rumor-that-hes-brain-dead\/\">pushed online<\/a> by MAGA activist <strong>Laura Loomer<\/strong> that he was \u201cbrain dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"a8eb13324d1298d62c3aae3010f99ce7\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">MCCONNELL releases a photo \u2013 and statement. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo my fellow Kentuckians \u2013\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>\u201cWhen you elected me to a seventh term and made me our Commonwealth\u2019s longest serving Senator, you did so trusting that I\u2019d keep showing up to fight for you every day. And over the past several weeks,\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YTzTXDhEgu\">pic.twitter.com\/YTzTXDhEgu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JakeSherman\/status\/2076417700407173481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kimmel quickly turned the moment into a joke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor those who\u2019ve been asking, I\u2019m feeling great,\u201d the late-night host wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DatiLh3Mo9v\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media post<\/a> featuring an edited version of McConnell\u2019s hospital photograph, replacing the senator\u2019s face with his own.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5741926\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5741926\" class=\"size-large wp-image-5741926\" src=\"https:\/\/am13.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kimmel-988x1200.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"988\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/am14.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kimmel-988x1200.jpeg 988w, https:\/\/am14.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kimmel-247x300.jpeg 247w, https:\/\/am14.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kimmel-768x933.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/am14.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kimmel-1264x1536.jpeg 1264w, https:\/\/am14.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kimmel.jpeg 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 988px) 100vw, 988px\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5741926\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Screengrab via Instagram)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The comedian\u2019s post comes as he is on summer vacation, not set to return until after Labor Day, with a lineup of guest hosts taking the helm at <em>Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Despite his absence from TV, Kimmel has been active on social media, sharing updates with fans.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell\u2019s disappearance from public view in the weeks following his hospitalization had prompted calls from some for an update on the senator\u2019s condition before Sunday\u2019s photo was released, despite reassurances from top Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/media\/news\/new-scott-jennings-shuts-down-mitch-mcconnell-rumors-details-lengthy-phone-call\/\">who said<\/a> they had spoken to him by phone.<\/p>\n<p>The senator included a lengthy statement with the image, assuring Kentuckians he was recovering and emphasizing that, after being found \u201cbriefly unconscious,\u201d he was \u201ctaken to the hospital,\u201d where he \u201calso had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>New: The Mediaite One-Sheet &#8220;Newsletter of Newsletters&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/subscribe\">Subscribe now!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\nn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\ndocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n<\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jimmy Kimmel briefly emerged from his summer hiatus to mock Senator Mitch McConnell\u2019s (R-KY) hospital-bed \u201cproof of life\u201d photo with a parody, assuring fans that he too was \u201cfeeling great.\u201d The late-night host, who has been off the air since beginning his annual summer break on June 18, took to Instagram on Sunday after McConnell&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JimmyKimmel-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}