Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lauded President Donald Trump for taking decisive action to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, telling Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that the move is not only right, but it’s also long overdue.

“It’s a federal city, and I think the president is taking responsibility for what he needs to take responsibility for and what Joe Biden didn’t take responsibility for,” he said Monday on “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”

“There’s no excuse for our nation’s capital to be a crime-ridden place.”

Trump, on Monday, announced that he is activating National Guard troops and is taking over the Metropolitan Police Department to tackle crime in Washington, D.C., after beefing up federal law enforcement presence in the area on Saturday.

He told reporters at a press conference that the National Guard deployment seeks to “reestablish law, order, and public safety” in D.C. and that the Metropolitan Police Department is being placed under the authority of Attorney General Pam Bondi to mitigate crime.

4 Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lauded President Donald Trump for taking decisive action to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. Boston Globe via Getty Images

4 Trump announced that he is activating National Guard troops and is taking over the Metropolitan Police Department to tackle crime in Washington, D.C. AP

The moves come in the wake of a violent assault on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer on Aug. 3 in Washington’s Logan Circle.

Christie, who has been a vocal Trump critic at times, said the current state of lawlessness should be an “embarrass[ment],” and he hopes the president’s plan succeeds for everyone’s benefit.

“We have people from all over the world who want to come to Washington, D.C. to see the seat of the greatest democracy, and when they walk around the city, we should be embarrassed,” he said.

4 U.S. military personnel walk outside the D.C. Armory after U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement to deploy the National Guard. REUTERS

4 “It’s a federal city, and I think the president is taking responsibility for what he needs to take responsibility for and what Joe Biden didn’t take responsibility for,” Christie said. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

“So I’m glad the president’s doing what he’s doing. I hope he does it well, because if he does well, everybody who lives in Washington and everybody who visits Washington are going to benefit by it.”

Christie also weighed in on the New Jersey gubernatorial race, believing Republican Jack Ciattarelli has a “legitimate shot” to defeat Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill.

“People in New Jersey are growing very tired of one-party rule in the state,” he said.

In a bombshell new interview this week, Jimmy Kimmel admitted to joining the long list of Hollywood stars with plans to flea the United States in response to Donald Trump’s policies.

Already this year, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria left America and now splits her time between Spain and Mexico, and Game Of Thrones actress Sophie Turner returned home to the UK in fear of both US gun violence and a reduction in women’s rights.

Suits frontman Gabriel Macht also told PEOPLE back in January that he and his family had left America, but refused to reveal where they’d gone. Married couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi vowed not to return from their new UK home to the States unless the end of Trump’s second stint in the White House.

Trump previously threatened Kimmel (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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And as we say, 57-year-old talk-show presenter Kimmel is said to have made similar arrangements, confessing this week to seeking out citizenship elsewhere.

Discussing Trump’s crackdown on birthright citizenship as part of his plans for the ‘largest deportation operation in American history’ with podcast host Sarah Silverman, the TV star told listeners: “I did get Italian citizenship.”

Kimmel continued: “I do have that. And what’s going on is – as bad as you thought it was going to be – it’s so much worse. It’s just unbelievable.

“I feel like it’s even worse than he would like it to be.”

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This isn’t the first time that the presenter and comedian has discussed his potential reliance on his European heritage.

Speaking at a Los Angeles event at the Consulate General of Italy in back June, Kimmel announced: “I have just obtained citizenship, thanks to my beloved grandmother Edith, whose family came from Candida, in the province of Avellino.”

Kimmel alluded to plans to leave the States (Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)

The star’s latest update comes just weeks after Republican leader Trump warned him he’d be ‘next’ to have his show cancelled, after Stephen Colbert’s Late Show was axed by Paramount and CBS following a slew of ‘bribery’ accusations.

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Colbert accused Paramount days earlier of previously handing Donald Trump a ‘big fat bribe’ in the form of a $16 million (£12m) settlement, after the right-wing politician accused CBS of airing an edited version of an electoral debate in favour of Kamala Harris.

Trump celebrated the show’s cancelling online by claiming ‘absolutely love[s] that Colbert got fired’, and adding: “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”

Kimmel himself quickly clapped back at the time, writing on Instagram: “I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret.”

It was thought at the time the remark referred to a line in a hand-written letter found amongst late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s belongings, supposedly signed with the name ‘Donald.’

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Ellen DeGeneres recently fled to the UK in response to Trump’s rule (MEGA/GC Images)

A number of other A-listers previously hinted at following in Kimmel’s footsteps with regards to fleeing the States, including Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera, who is said to be checking out schools in the UK for her children.

Barbara Streisand also claimed previously that she wouldn’t live in the US if Trump returned to power, whilst OINB star Laverne Cox seconded the singer’s motion, insisting she’d move Europe or the Caribbean if Trump remained in office.

Sharon Stone, meanwhile, is said to be buying a home in Italy to escape Trump’s reign, whilst British actress Minnie Driver will also be moving back to London.

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Raven Symone also told press she’s considering moving to Canada with her wife, whilst Vivian Wilson (Elon Musk’s transgender daughter) has voiced her wish to leave the America, too – regardless of her father’s political affiliation with the President.

Could comedian Jimmy Kimmel be saying “arrivederci” to the U.S. and “salve” to Italy?

The late-night talk show host got the ball rolling by securing Italian citizenship and possibly escape an America with Donald Trump as president, Fox News reported.

He talked about the subject when he was a guest on Sarah Silverman’s podcast Friday. The two were discussing the president’s second term at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. as well as those plotting to leave.

“A lot of people I know are thinking about where are they going to get citizenship?” Silverman said.

“I did get Italian citizenship,” Kimmel said in response.

“You do? Oh, that’s amazing,” Silverman said.

“I do have that. And what’s going on is — as bad as you thought it was going to be — it’s so much worse. It’s just unbelievable,” Kimmel said. “I feel like it’s even worse than he would like it to be.”

Kimmel has been a critic of Trump’s for years.

He first broached the topic at an event at the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles in June, according to Ansa, an Italian news agency.

“I have just obtained citizenship, thanks to my beloved grandmother Edith, whose family came from Candida, in the province of Avellino,” he said at the event.

But Kimmel is not alone in planning an exodus from the U.S. Others such as Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres have already left. O’Donnell now lives in Ireland; DeGeneres in England to escape Trump.

Just last week, Trump predicted Kimmel’s will be “next” on the chopping block.

Late-night host Stephen Colbert, and Trump critic, announced in July his show would end in May 2026.

From the posts on X, it is not likely viewers will miss Kimmel.

⁦@jimmykimmel⁩ is lower than dirt. He secures foreign citizenship because he happens not to like the current president? What a scumbag. I hope this will cost him his future in late night or whatever the hell he does. https://t.co/8KG6PDOTzP — GB (@blumga) August 12, 2025

Go already!

Jimmy Kimmel secures Italian citizenship as liberal celebrities threaten exodus under Trump https://t.co/WJeBRWH5Xe — @UPTOWNGIRL2008 (@UPTOWNGIRL2008) August 12, 2025

Just makes Kimmel a coward.

Jimmy Kimmel secures Italian citizenship as liberal celebrities threaten exodus under Trump https://t.co/YW4ZIuA04O #FoxNews — Wayne (@netcurious) August 12, 2025

Jimmy Kimmel said he obtained Italian citizenship during a conversation about people leaving the country over Donald Trump’s presidency, while also criticizing what he called “repulsive” liberal voices that he believes are pushing people away from the Democratic Party. In an interview on “The Sarah Silverman Podcast,” Kimmel said he recently secured citizenship as part of a broader conversation about the political climate.

The late-night comedian said the current political climate under Trump is “so much worse” than he imagined.

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“What’s going on is as bad as you thought it was gonna be, it’s so much worse,” Kimmel said. “I feel like it’s probably even worse than [Trump] would like it to be.”

Silverman pointed out that some of Trump’s biggest critics have already left the country, and that’s when Kimmel brought up his own dual citizenship.

“I do have…I did get Italian citizenship. I do have that,” Kimmel said.

Criticism of political left

Kimmel also said some outspoken liberal figures have alienated people from the Democratic Party. While defending the party overall, he said a small but vocal group can discourage open discussion and make others feel unwelcome.

“It’s not the party, it’s not the majority. It’s the loud voices that scare people from saying what they believe,” Kimmel said. “A lot of their points are valid, but a lot of them are also just repulsive, in that they repel people.”

The conversation included references to podcast host Joe Rogan, who supported Trump in the 2024 election but recently criticized the president’s deportation policies. Kimmel said he does not agree with shunning people who have shifted their political views, saying people who shift against Trump “are welcome” to join the Democratic Party.

Response from Trump

Kimmel’s comments came as Trump said he believed Kimmel and fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon could lose their shows following the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show.”

“Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They’re next,” Trump said in July on Truth Social, adding that Colbert’s ratings were higher than either host’s.

Topline Jimmy Kimmel said he pursued Italian citizenship because the Trump presidency is “so much worse” than he ever thought it would be. Jimmy Kimmel May 2, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. Getty Images for UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation

Key Facts

On an episode of the “The Sarah Silverman Podcast,” Kimmel said he obtained Italian citizenship because “What’s going on [with Trump] is as bad as you thought it was gonna be. It’s so much worse; it’s just unbelievable.” Kimmel said at an event in June covered by the Italian news agency Ansa that he claimed Italian citizenship after proving his ancestral lineage. He said his great grandparents immigrated to New York from Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples, after an earthquake killed “most of the family” in the late 1880s. Kimmel’s remarks came after Silverman said “A lot of people I know” are thinking about trying to obtain citizenship in another country.

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What Other Celebrities Have Considered Leaving The Country Because Of Trump?

Several liberal celebrities have threatened to leave the country in the wake of Trump’s election and a few have actually done it—Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland and Ellen DeGeneres moved to England. O’Donnell, a frequent Trump critic, moved in January and said she is working on getting citizenship. She said she misses “many things about life there at home,” but won’t return until “it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America.” DeGeneres spoke about her move for the first time in July. She and her wife, Portia de Rosi, arrived in England the day before the election but said they decided to make the move permanent after Trump’s election. She said if same-sex marriage laws are reversed, she and de Rossi may marry again in the U.K. Other celebrities who’ve said they’ve considered moving because of the 2024 election include Sharon Stone, Cher and Barbra Streisand. U.K.-born actor Sophie Turner said she knew it was “time get get the f**k out” of the U.S. when Roe v. Wade was overturned, also citing the nation’s amount of gun violence. Actress Lena Dunham in 2016 said she would be moving if Trump won his first election, then backtracked when he did. “I can survive staying in this country, MY country, to fight and live and use my embarrassment of blessings to do what’s right,” she said. She now lives in London.

Tangent

Kimmel frequently attacks Trump in monologues on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and made fun of him while hosting the Academy Awards last year, which Trump responded to in an interview on Fox News: “This guy’s even dumber than I thought,” the president said of Kimmel. CBS last month announced it would cancel the late night show of another Trump critic, Stephen Colbert, citing “purely financial” reasons, but viewers, industry insiders and Colbert himself have speculated political concerns drove the decision because CBS’ owners were trying to sell the parent company but facing tough pushback from Trump’s FCC. Trump celebrated Colbert’s firing on Truth Social: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,” he wrote, and later suggested “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be the next late night show to be canceled, with Jimmy Fallon after him. “These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!” Trump wrote. Kimmel responded by mimicking Trump’s claim he would be “next,” commenting, “I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret,” in reference to a birthday note Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.

Further Reading

Forbes Celebrities On The Election: Charles Barkley Tells Dems To ‘Shut Up,’ Sylvester Stallone Calls Trump ‘Second George Washington’

Forbes Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation Monologue Nears 10 Million On YouTube—His Most-Watched Video In 6 Years