Jimmy Kimmel's emotional plea for change after 'Alex Pretti's' tragic death

Although humour is Jimmy Kimmel‘s mainstay, the late-night host is also renowned for his candid emotional displays, particularly following tragic occurrences. 

He demonstrated this once more on Monday's Jimmy Kimmel Live, becoming emotional twice during his opening segment, most of which was devoted to the incident involving federal agents and Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti. 

The segment was somber, with the studio audience silent at times, breaking the stillness occasionally to applaud Kimmel’s words.

“I spent the weekend, like probably a lot of you did – looking at my phone – and just feeling shocked – and sick – about what is happening in Minneapolis,” Kimmel said at the start of the monologue. “One video after another. Screaming people being torn from their families, Americans –- people who were born in the United States — being pulled out of their cars for the crime of having an accent or whatever, children –- small children, babies — being tear-gassed, taken into custody, separated from their parents. Just one atrocity after another, being committed by this gang of poorly-trained, shamefully-led, mask-wearing goons. And that is what they are – they’re goons committing vile, heartless, and even criminal acts.

“Is that the law and order that you voted for, if you voted for this? Every day is a nightmare now. My wife and I have family in Minneapolis. They’re afraid to take their kids to school. They’re afraid to go to work. And I can only imagine how people who aren’t white feel about this!

“How does this end? What’s the plan here? Is the plan to just keep doing this in every city that didn’t vote for Donald Trump? Does anyone on any side believe this is good leadership?

“This has to stop. And I’m convinced now that the only people who can stop it are on the right. I know it takes a lot of courage to go against your ‘tribe’ or whatever it is but that’s what we need, we need some decent people on the right to show some courage -– and some common sense.

Kimmel concluded by honoring Pretti, “the man referred to by Stephen Miller as a would-be assassin.”