HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 16: Shane Gillis speaks onstage during the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Comedian Shane Gillis stunned the ESPYs crowd on Wednesday night as he mocked President Donald Trump with a Jeffrey Epstein joke.
Gillis became the latest MAGA-friendly media personality to turn on Trump after anti-trans activist Riley Gaines slammed the president on Wednesday for refusing to release the so-called Epstein files.
And Gillis wasted no time addressing that controversial topic while hosting the ESPYs – but first teed up a quip about the January 6 Capitol Hill riots.
“Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn,” Gillis began. “The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died.”
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The comedian then addressed Trump’s handling of the infamous Epstein case.
“There was supposed to be an Epstein joke, but I guess it got deleted,” he said. “Probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let’s move on as a country and ignore that.”
There were audible gasps from the star-studded audience following the joke from Gillis, who took aim at a wide range of stars in his opening monologue.
Gillis also pushed the limit in mentioning Caitlin Clark, saying when she “retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist-fighting black women.”
The comedian said that he has some things in common with the Indiana Fever star, as they are “both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of threes.”
Cleveland Browns’ new rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was also not safe from Gillis’ barbs, as the comic mentioned the passer’s jersey retirement at Colorado.
“People say it’s nepotism because of his father,” Gillis said. “It’s not. It’s because he went 13-12 and almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism. Alright.”
Gillis also targeted athletes such as Aaron Rodgers, Shohei Ohtani, Bill Belichick, Deshaun Watson and Jake Paul with jokes in his monologue to open the ESPYs.
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