Jimmy Kimmel’s Wife Molly McNearney Says She’s Lost Family Over Trump Votes: “It Hurts Me So Much”
Molly McNearney, the wife of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and a television writer, has opened up about losing touch with some family members over their support for President Donald Trump. She shared her thoughts on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast on Thursday.
McNearney said that before the 2024 presidential election, she tried to persuade some conservative relatives not to vote for Trump. “I’m begging you. Here’s the 10 reasons not to vote for this guy. Please don’t,” she recalled emailing them. She said most ignored her, while some responded with what she described as “truly insane responses,” which strained their relationships.
Growing up in a conservative Republican household, McNearney said she initially understood her family’s choices when Trump was first elected. But over time, after leaving home and meeting people with different perspectives, her views shifted. She explained that she had some sympathy for relatives who were “deliberately misinformed” but that the divide became personal.
“It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have, where my husband is out there fighting this man, and to me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family. And I unfortunately have kind of lost relationships with people in my family because of it,” she said.
🚨 NEW: Jimmy Kimmel’s Wife & Show Producer Molly McNearney Says She is Losing Relationships w/ Her Trump-Voting Family, Wishes She Could ‘Deprogram’ Herself
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 8, 2025
“To me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family … This is not just Republican… pic.twitter.com/gLPZUJ979K
McNearney emphasized that her concerns were not simply about politics, but about values and family relationships. “And I hate that this has happened. … It feels silly. You know, part of me goes, ‘Don’t let politics get in the way,’ but to me, this isn’t politics. It’s truly values. And we just were not aligned anymore,” she said.
She also noted that while she has grown apart from some relatives, she has become closer to others whose values she feels align more with her own. McNearney admitted the experience has been emotionally difficult, saying she wishes she could “deprogram” herself to make it easier to cope.
The comments come amid Jimmy Kimmel’s long-standing criticism of Trump. Most recently, Kimmel mocked the president’s reaction to the November 4 election results, joking, “This was not a good night for the President. Everything he touched was a loser. Trump hasn’t been this embarrassed since he found out there was a Donald Trump Jr.”
This conversation from McNearney highlights how political differences, especially in the wake of the 2024 election, continue to affect personal relationships, even within families.
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