Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has ridiculed the five Republican presidential candidates set to take part in the third GOP primary debate, describing them as “non-viable” and comparing them to the least impressive Avenger, Hawkeye.
Speaking on his Tuesday night show, Kimmel said: “Tomorrow night, the third, and sadly not final, Republican debate is happening in Miami. Five non-viable candidates will assemble on stage for no reason at all.” He went on to name the participants – Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott and Ron DeSantis – before adding: “What a lineup! It’s like if all the Avengers were Hawkeye.”
The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, was singled out for particular mockery, with Kimmel referencing his reportedly height-boosting footwear. “Most of the pressure is on Florida governor Ron DeSantis who will be in front of a whole crowd and is reportedly determined to finally break away from the pack. In fact, sources inside his camp say he’s planning to wear his extra tall Gene Simmons Kiss boots, or as he calls them, loafers, in the debate tomorrow,” Kimmel said.
The debate, hosted by NBC News, will take place in Miami on Wednesday. Front-runner Donald Trump, who has a substantial lead in the polls, is not expected to attend, having skipped the previous two debates. His campaign has announced a counter-programming rally in Hialeah, Florida, and a “Team Trump Spin Room” to coincide with the event.
The third debate will feature fewer candidates than previous rounds, following the suspension of Mike Pence’s campaign and Doug Burgum’s failure to qualify. Foreign policy, particularly Israel’s offensive in response to Hamas’ attack, is expected to be a prominent topic.
