Comedian Shane Gillis made his hosting debut at the 2025 ESPY Awards on Wednesday night, delivering a monologue that drew sharp criticism for jokes about President Donald Trump and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
During the opening segment, Gillis targeted Trump's immigration policy with a quip about baseball star Juan Soto, then pivoted to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. “Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn,” he said. “The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died.” The audience reacted with laughter and applause.
Gillis then addressed the Epstein controversy, referencing Trump's denial of a client list. “Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted,” he said. “Probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let’s move on as a country and ignore that.”
The appearance marks a career resurgence for Gillis, who was fired from Saturday Night Live in 2019 before his debut after past homophobic and racist comments resurfaced. He has since hosted SNL twice and was announced as ESPYs host in June 2025.
The ESPYs, which raise funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, honoured athletes including Simone Biles, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Caitlin Clark, and the Philadelphia Eagles.
