Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Grilled on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
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ABC/Randy Holmes(LOS ANGELES) — Toronto mayor Rob Ford sweated through an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday, enduring jokes and embarrassing videos — and even a plea to seek treatment.
Ford, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine in office, is running for re-election this year. He wants to overcome the scandals.
“The apologies are over. I’m moving on,” he said.
He spent most of the interview defending himself. During the beginning of the segment, Kimmel read criticisms from Toronto residents, calling Ford “disgusting … embarrassment … sick,” and accusing him of racism and homophobia, among other things.
“Are you homophobic?” Kimmel asked.
“No,” Ford said, laughing. “Are you?”
At one point, Kimmel dabbed sweat from the politician’s head with a tissue.
“I’ll auction this off on eBay afterwards,” Kimmel said. “Actually, I’m gonna take the DNA from this tissue, I’m gonna clone you and we’re gonna have a whole army of you here in L.A.”
Ford played along as Kimmel dissected his most infamous videos, which include Ford ranting in a Jamaican accent, making “drunk driving” gestures and walking into a video camera.
Near the end of the segment, Kimmel hinted that Ford should consider treatment.
“If you are an alcoholic, if you’re drinking enough that you can try crack in your 40s and you don’t remember it, maybe that’s something you might want to think about, like talking to somebody,” Kimmel said.
“I wasn’t elected to be perfect, Jimmy. I was elected to clean up the mess that I inherited, and that’s exactly what I’ve done,” Ford responded.
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