Anthony Anderson, who stood in as a guest host for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday, said he hopes Americans will reflect on the ongoing political violence that’s shattering the country, particularly after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
“I know it’s a weird night. Everyone’s still shaken up by the tragic events at the Trump rally this Saturday,” Anderson said as he opened up his monologue. “All weekend I kept thinking, ‘I wonder what Jimmy Kimmel’s going to say about this on Monday, and then I was like, ‘Oh s—t, I am Jimmy Kimmel on Monday! What would he say?’”
Leveling out, Anderson then addressed the fatal shooting of Corey Comperatore and Saturday’s injured victims David Dutch and James Copenhaver. He added that he hopes the violence will prompt Americans to think outside of themselves and be more compassionate to others who don’t necessarily agree with them.
“In all seriousness, I do want to that our thoughts are with the families of the victims, and that hopefully this will be a moment that we can all take a step back from the hatred and vitriol in our politics and maybe chill the f—k out,” Anderson said.
As the true comedian he is, the guest host also offered some advice for how to avoid political drama: Stay off the internet.
“And by the way, if you want to maintain your sanity during this crazy time, do not go on the internet,” Anderson said, mentioning the extremist ideologies that have long floated around the internet, specifically highlighting the far-right QAnon theory.
QAnon, also known as the “big tent conspiracy theory,” is the belief that a group of cannibalistic, pedophilic satanists mostly made up of Hollywood notables and members of the Democratic Party are in a war with Trump. Meanwhile, far-left theorists in the aftermath of the Trump shooting have been dubbed “BlueAnon.”
BlueAnon is the direct equivalent of QAnon, but from the perspective of Democrat extremists. According to David Harsanyi’s “The Rise of BlueAnon: How the Democrats Became a Party of Conspiracy Theorists,” BlueAnon is the belief that Republicans are setting the country up for a “Handmaid’s Tale”-like society, a climate disaster will end the world in 12 years and that the GOP has been stealing presidential elections since Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter.
“There are insane conspiracies popping up on both sides,” Anderson said. “BlueAnon, that sounds like a support group for people who give anonymous oral sex.” He then signaled the camera to the audience where his mother was seated. She jokingly gave a thumbs up to her son’s comedic bit.
The FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter. On Saturday during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Crooks fired several shots at Trump, with one grazing the former president’s ear.
Anderson is one of the many talents taking the stage in place of Kimmel while he’s on break, along with Martin Short, Katherine Hahn, Kumail Nanjiani, Lamorne Morris, Jeff Goldblum, RuPaul and Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Watch his hosting stint in the video above.
