Kimmel blames producer Mark Burnett for Trump
By Associated Press
Sep 18, 2016 7:38 PM CDT
Kate McKinnon arrives at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)   (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Presidential politics quickly made its presence felt at the Emmys.

Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush had a cameo in host Jimmy Kimmel's opening comedy segment. And during his monologue Sunday, Kimmel referenced Republican nominee Donald Trump, specifically pointing out the man in the audience who made him a television star.

"Thanks to Mark Burnett, we don't have to watch reality shows anymore, because we're living them," Kimmel said. Burnett cast Trump in "The Apprentice," the hit series that gave him a catchphrase ("you're fired") and a larger public profile.

"If it wasn't for television, would Donald Trump be running for president?" Kimmel asked.

Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush also made the opening sketch — as the limo driver for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. "Did you know you can make $12 an hour driving for Uber?" he asked Kimmel.

Bush asked Kimmel if he was a nominee, and when Kimmel said yes, Bush said, "Wow, what's that like?"

For her part, Kate McKinnon thanked Hillary Clinton when she accepted her best supporting actress in a comedy series award for her work on "Saturday Night Live."