Jimmy Kimmel is finding it tougher and tougher to be funny on his late-night comedy show.
The latest example of that came on Monday night, when he delivered a teary monologue after a gunman killed at least 59 people and wounded over 500 others in Las Vegas, his hometown, at a music festival on Sunday.
In the monologue, Kimmel, his voice breaking often, talked about how politicians’ prayers wouldn’t be enough to prevent another shooting like this from happening again.
He noted that while U.S. President Donald Trump offered his prayers for victims on Monday morning, seven months ago he “signed a bill that made it easier for people with severe mental illnesses to buy guns legally.”
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Then Kimmel turned his attention to senators who voted against a measure that would have required people purchasing guns at gun shows to obtain background checks first, as reported by CNN.
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It was a vote that took place days after a shooting at an Orlando nightclub killed 49 people.
READ MORE: Las Vegas shooting: gunman used ‘bump-stock’ device to speed fire
Kimmel showed the faces of all the senators who voted against the measure.
“We have a major problem with gun violence in this country and I guess they don’t care,” he said.
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Kimmel said he wants to laugh and do comedy on his show every night, but he’s been finding that “increasingly difficult” lately.
“It feels like someone has opened a window into Hell, and what I’m talking about tonight isn’t about gun control, it’s about common sense,” he said.
“Common sense says no good will ever come of allowing a person to have weapons that can take down 527 Americans at a concert.
“Maybe I’m nuts, but I would like to think we can put politics aside. No American needs an M-16, or 10 of them, and maybe that way we don’t do this again.”
READ MORE: Las Vegas shooting: U.S. Congress urged to stop gun-silencer bill after mass shooting
Kimmel also noted that the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on a bill to lighten restrictions on silencers, and let people who have concealed-carry permits take their guns into other states.
The bill faced opposition Monday from Mark Kelly, the husband of Gabby Giffords, who survived a shooting in 2011.
“Imagine how much worse last night’s shooting could have been if the gunman had a silencer,” he said.
“We don’t have to accept this as normal. It’s not normal. It’s not inevitable. It’s an epidemic that needs to be cured.”
- With files from Rebecca Joseph and The Associated Press
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