When a Fill-In Talk Show Host Made Jokes About Senators: An Easy-to-Understand Story

What’s This About?

Hey there! Today we’re going to talk about something that happened on a TV comedy show. But first, a quick note from the original page: You can now listen to Fox News articles! That’s a new feature, like having someone read the story to you.

Now, the main story: A man named Ike Barinholtz was filling in as the host of the show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Monday. He made some jokes about two important politicians (people who help run the country) who are senators (that’s like a helper for making laws for a state). One senator passed away (died), and another had been sick.

Callout (Important Point): This article talks about real people and sad events, but it is written in a fun, simple way. Please remember that death is serious, even if comedians make jokes.

Who Are the People in the Story?

Let’s meet them with simple explanations:

• Ike Barinholtz: A funny person who was temporarily hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show.
• Jimmy Kimmel: The usual host of the late-night show. He has a sidekick (a funny helper) named Guillermo Rodriguez.
• Guillermo Rodriguez: Jimmy’s friend and helper on the show. He often wears a security guard costume.
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): A senator from South Carolina (a state in the US) who was part of the Republican political group. He died at age 71.
• Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): A senator from Kentucky who had been in the hospital for weeks.
• Charlie Kirk: A conservative (right-leaning) activist who started a group called TPUSA. He was killed last year (assassinated means someone purposely killed him). Jimmy Kimmel got in trouble earlier for joking about his death.
• Rosie O’Donnell: A vocal critic (someone who speaks out against) of President Trump; she was announced as a guest host in June.
• Alex Christy: A writer from NewsBusters who first pointed out the jokes.
• Hasan Piker: A left-leaning online streamer who said mean words about Graham (we’ll mention later).
• Alexander Hall: The associate editor for Fox News Digital who wrote the original story.

What Happened on the Show? (Step-by-Step)

Here’s how the joke went, like a little play:

1. Ike said: "What a crazy weekend! Mitch McConnell is alive, Lindsey Graham is dead. There’s so many opportunities to get Jimmy’s show pulled off the air again. They’re gonna pull it off!" (He was referencing that Jimmy’s show was once paused for a joke about Charlie Kirk.)
2. Ike pretended that Guillermo and Lindsey Graham were best friends. He said: "Guillermo, I know you and him were close friends. You hosted fundraisers for him at the Dave & Busters in Charleston. And I know you’ve prepared some heartfelt remarks. Do you want to share them with all of America right now?"
3. Guillermo replied: "Maybe later on. Maybe later on. I’ll do it later on, yeah, yeah."
4. Ike joked to the audience: "Later on. He’s emotional, folks. He’s emotional." (Meaning Guillermo was faking sadness.)

These comments were first noticed by Alex Christy from NewsBusters.

The Sad News About Senator Graham

Callout (Important Point): Senator Lindsey Graham died on Saturday night at age 71. Doctors did a check of his body (called an autopsy) on Sunday and found he died from something called an aortic dissection because of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

• Aortic dissection is a big tear inside the main tube that carries blood from the heart.
• Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease means the tubes (arteries) got hard and narrow because of buildup, making the heart work badly.
  This surprised everyone in Washington (where laws are made) because Graham was very active and was even supposed to be on the TV show "Meet the Press" Sunday morning on NBC.

There is a photo of Sen. Graham standing at the U.S. Capitol (the building where senators work) in Washington, D.C. (Taken by Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images).

Also, in a separate headline, a left-leaning streamer named Hasan Piker called Graham a "bloodthirsty odious monster" in another Fox News article.

What About Senator McConnell?

Senator Mitch McConnell had been away from work for weeks because he was sick. Just hours after Graham died (on Sunday), he told people about his hospital stay (almost a month long). He said:

• "My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion (bump on the head)."
• "I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke (when blood stops going to the brain)."
• "I don’t have any tumors (lumps) or hemorrhages (bleeding)."

After Ike joked about McConnell’s health on Monday, he then said sarcastically (meaning not really serious): "In all seriousness, though, I do want to extend well-wishes to Senator McConnell. I hope you get the quality healthcare you’ve fought so hard to deny everyone else. Pulling for you, Mitch!"

Fox News Digital tried to ask McConnell’s office for a comment but didn’t hear back quickly.

There is a picture of Sen. McConnell in the Senate Subway at the U.S. Capitol in May 2026 (photo by Al Drago/Bloomberg).

Other Things Mentioned in the Original Story

• Jimmy Kimmel’s past suspension: Jimmy was briefly taken off the air after he joked about the death of Charlie Kirk (who was assassinated last year). That’s why Ike mentioned the show being "pulled off the air."
• Rosie O’Donnell: In June, Kimmel said Rosie (a Trump critic) would guest host during his summer break.
• More coverage: Fox News has a section for more media and culture stories, and you can download their app.
• Author note: This story was written by Alexander Hall, an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He can be reached at Alexander.hall@fox.com for tips.

Summary

To wrap it up simply:

• A fill-in host named Ike made silly jokes about a dead senator (Graham) and a sick senator (McConnell) on Jimmy Kimmel’s show.
• He pretended the show’s sidekick Guillermo was friends with Graham and hosted fake fundraisers at Dave & Busters in Charleston.
• Graham died at 71 from a heart-related body problem; McConnell was in hospital but is okay and shared his health details.
• The jokes reminded people of when Kimmel got in trouble for a previous joke about Charlie Kirk.
• All this was noted by a writer and reported by Fox News, who also remind you can listen to articles now and download their app.

FAQ

1. What does "guest host" mean?
A guest host is a person who fills in for the regular TV show host when they are away, like a substitute teacher.

2. Why did Ike say the show might be "pulled off the air"?
Because Jimmy Kimmel was previously suspended (temporarily stopped from hosting) after making a joke about the death of Charlie Kirk. Ike joked that the new jokes could get the show in trouble again.

3. What is an aortic dissection in kid words?
It’s when the big pipe that sends blood from your heart gets a tear inside it, which is very dangerous and can cause death.

4. Who was Lindsey Graham?
He was a senator from South Carolina who helped make laws, and he was a Republican. He died at age 71.

5. What is TPUSA?
TPUSA stands for Turning Point USA, a group started by Charlie Kirk. Charlie was killed last year, and Jimmy Kimmel joked about it.