Jimmy Kimmel Explains Why He Hates the TACO Trump Taunts | The late-night host said it is fortunate “we got a TACO Tuesday instead of a war crimes Wednesday.”

Imagine being a historian in 2100 trying to explain that the 2026 Iranian Crisis escalated because the President was triggered by a Jimmy Kimmel monologue about a taco-themed acronym. We aren't in a constitutional crisis; we’re in a South Park episode that won't end.

I don't get the taunt either. Like, did you want him to do the crazy thing he threatened?

>Jimmy Kimmel launched a back-handed defense of Donald Trump after the president was accused of “chickening out” of his threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran. >Trump has frequently been called out for backing down over his brazen threats—with the U-turns earning the nickname TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out). >Kimmel explained why he dislikes the acronym and said he “congratulates” Trump for capitulating over his threat. >“I have to be honest, I don’t like this TACO thing, this ‘Trump always chickens out,’ because it puts him in a corner,” the late-night host began. >“I congratulate him for chickening out,” he explained. “I think it was the right thing to do. A lot of presidents, after wasting $40 billion on blowing up a school full of children, would stick with it. They would keep going until their demands for the reasons they started this war were met. >“They would keep bombing until they knew for sure that Iran would stop enriching uranium and murdering protesters. But not Donald Trump. Our president, he looked at the price of gas. He looked at the polls. He said, ‘Oops.’ And he tucked his pointy little tail between his porky pink legs and tiptoed right back out to the golf course. Mission accomplished, everyone.

It's more a taunt because the president of the USA's word means absolutely nothing. That position should bear some responsibility. Obviously all politicians lie but this is just a complete joke. Nobody is upset that he backed down but we shouldn't even be involved in this in the first place.

Yeah, I don’t want to call Trump “chicken” for backing down from a holocaust.

TACO started with Trump’s tariffs and market manipulation. Had nothing to do with war — it was a warning not to panic over stock dips in reaction to tariffs that Trump wouldn’t implement.

Don't scold the baby for doing the right thing, even if he has no idea he did the right thing.

Feeling this same way. We want him to TACO. I don’t need any more unprecedented events in my lifetime. I had to watch the Challenger explosion, the OJ Trial Verdict, Iraq War highlights and 9/11 on live TV, in a classroom, before I was old enough to drink. I’m tired Boss.

To be fair, political taunts probably don’t help in de-escalation either.

If Trump was gonna use nukes it would be “Beginning of WWIII” Wednesday.

This is EXACTLY how I feel about it. People with fragile egos and way too much power SHOULD be all bark and no bite. The more you mock him for not following through the more likely he will snap and follow through. A normal person would learn from this mocking "I shouldn't make outrageous threats next time" an insecure person learns from this mocking "I should follow through next time"

I was just telling someone, "Why the f*** would you tease him for NOT launching illegal military strikes on civilians???"

RIGHT! I DONT WANT HIM TO KILL AND ENTIRE NATION

Yeah, its funny, but at some point he may be tempted to buck the trend to prove us all wrong, and the consequences of taunting a chimp with a machine gun is a lot of dead people. Memes and mockery wont end this nonsense.

Not to mention, this was the game the whole time. He’s been manipulating the market this entire time and people think he’s “chickening out”, meanwhile he and all his buddies get more and more rich.

it undermines the credibility of the country for the leadership to be constantly lying in public. No one wants war crimes, AND they want a government that doesn’t act like a third grade bully.

TACO has likely become something bots use to diminish the severity of Trump’s actions.

I don't get the joke. He wanted a War Crimes Wednesday?

Obviously people aren’t trying to goad him into a war crime they are making fun of him for threatening it. This is the sort of thing that Tamps down on popular sentiments

Jimmy keeps me going

Taco is only funny for the things where lives aren't destroyed. Him chickening out of mass murder the other day was a good thing. Hopefully he'll chicken out of a lot more stuff.

Honestly... I didnt really get it either. I guess thats what Kimmels trying to say, huh? kinda weird phrasing... :)

does this guy know any other word other than TRUMP? everyfucking day TRUMP this TRUMP that. Even when Joe Biden defeated him...

Trump voluntarily made the original threat. The point of the taunts isn’t that he failed to commit genocide, it’s that he’s completely full of shit when he made the original threat. Jimmy Kimmel’s statement was a lead in for a joke. In this case, the premise of the joke was a strawman argument that we’re all taunting Trump for not carrying out a genocide. Kimmel likely understands the nuance, but that doesn’t serve the joke. Another example of TDB making a story out of nothing.

As much as I agree, this whole “chicken out” framing distracts from what is obviously market manipulation. Millions have been made on information minutes before any of these reversals. People are making money hand over fist, and the DOJ is run as the personal injury lawyer to the president.

Yeah f*** that. "Dont say mean words because dictator may decide to do dictator things".... I dont accept responsibility for POTUS not being able to control his emotions.

I think ill just enjoy Wednesday as is. Humpday. Keep war out of the bedroom.

How about instead of taunting the demented psychopath with the nuclear launch codes for not invading Iran, we use that energy in a more positive direction. McDonalds can issue him the first Mayor McCheese Peace Prize. We convince him that Netanyahu said that's not his natural hair color and Steven Miller called Ivanka a 4.

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Who is still watching this guy?

I mentioned that yesterday, gloating "taco" is sorta like wishing the war did progress to the next stage instead of celebrating a pause. Almost like damn if you do damned if you don't so why not just do the war if the shit talking doesn't care how it plays out. You'll notice I didn't say to forget the monologue or history between the two men. I'm just saying if you're against the war its a weird look to then turn around and goat the next action as a response to so called winning.

Should be TRACO instead of Taco. Tacos are tasty and good for the soul.

Whats so hard to understand, its an insult calling trump weak and a rubbish leader. At this point I wont be suprised if large part of population wanted him to follow through

As a Canadian, one thing that has really confused me during Trump 2.0 has been how much it feels like some of you are living for the drama of it all rather than, you know, saving your nation from a dictator? It’s like during the Super Bowl and ICE being in Minn. Your own civilians were getting gunned down in the street, but all you could wait for was to see if he got made that a Latin man danced and sang at the sports ball game? Really? It feels like hubris to be caught up in the tabloid side of it at, and not the fact that your president has been threatening allies with invasion, threatening enemies with nukes, and has basically formed your own version of the gestapo.

Who is Jimmy Kimmel? Insignificant.