Jimmy Kimmel addresses Trump on school shooting in emotional monologue

Jimmy Kimmel. Photo / Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel opened his late night show by replaying clips from President Donald Trump's statement about the killings of 17 people by a teenager with an AR-15 assault weapon at a Florida high school — including the part where Trump said "no parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning."

"Children are being murdered," Kimmel said, getting choked up as he addressed President Donald Trump with a plea to address gun control. "Do something! We still haven't even talked about it. You still haven't done anything about it. You've literally done nothing."

The late-night host gave a similar emotional speech in October after the Las Vegas massacre at the Route 91 Harvest festival.

Here's a transcript of Kimmel's remarks from Thursday:

"As I'm sure you know and feel, this is another very sad day in America. Another senseless shooting. This time at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman, a former student, opened fire yesterday again. Seventeen lives have been lost, more than a dozen people have been hospitalized. And our president, as he should, weighed in on the tragic events this morning from the White House."

(Footage of Trump: "We are all joined together as one American family. And your suffering is our burden also. No child, no teacher, should ever be in danger in an American school. No parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning.")

"Agreed. So I agree with both of those statements. And here's what you do to fix that: Tell your buddies in Congress, tell Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio, all the family men who care so much about their communities, that what we need are laws, real laws, that do everything possible to keep assault rifles out of the hands of people who are going to shoot our kids. Go on TV and tell them to do that.

"I'll tell you something. That is a perfect example of the common sense you told us you were going to bring to the White House. It's time to bring it, we need it. Tell these congressmen and lobbyists who infest that swamp you said you were going to drain, force these allegedly Christian men and women who stuff their pockets with money from the NRA year after year after year to do something. Now. Not later. Now.

"And don't you dare let anyone say it's too soon to be talking about it, because you said it after Vegas, you said it after Sandy Hook, you say that after every one of these eight now-fatal school shootings we had in this country this year. Children are being murdered.

"Do something! We still haven't even talked about it. You still haven't done anything about it. You've literally done nothing. Actually, you've done worse than nothing. You like to say this is a mental health issue, but one of your very first acts as president, Mr. Trump, was to actually roll back the regulations that were designed to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill. You did that. Your party voted to repeal the mandates on coverage for mental health.

"So I agree, this is a mental illness issue. Because if you don't think we need to do something about it, you're obviously mentally ill."

"It is amazing to me that if one illegal immigrant causes a car accident, we've got to build a wall to keep the rest of them out. Why are you looking for solutions to that problem and not this one? Every reasonable American, Republican or Democrat, knows that something has to be done. Something. And we're not doing anything. But go ahead, I'll let you finish."

(Footage of Trump: "To every parent, teacher, and child who is hurting so badly, we are here for you, whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain.")

"Great. OK. What we need and what you can do to ease our pain and to prevent future pain is something. Eight out of 10 Americans agree that a teenager shouldn't have an AR-15. So why does a teenager legally have an AR-15? Somewhere along the line, these guys forgot they work for us, not the NRA. Us. And this time we're not going to allow you to bow your head in prayer for two weeks, until you get an all-clear and we move on to the next thing. We're going to make sure you do something this time."

Kimmel concluded as he told his viewers that if they agree with him, they should write to their representatives - and vote them out if they didn't listen. He then aired a brief montage of politicians and commentators explaining it was "premature" to discuss gun legislation, and ended with a clip of Trump saying, "This isn't a guns situation. We could go into it, but it's a little bit soon to go into it."

"Yeah, no," Kimmel said. "It isn't."