Jimmy Kimmel Vows $5,000 to Every Studio Audience Member If Guillermo Rodriguez Wins ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Kimmel's Brooklyn-taped pledge to the studio audience

During the September 28 monologue of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," which is taping in Brooklyn for a week of shows, host Jimmy Kimmel promised $5,000 to every audience member in the theater if his longtime sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez wins "Dancing With the Stars." Kimmel framed the vow with the quip "Signed by Donald Trump," and asked the crowd, "You hear how stupid that sounds?" before the cheering made the rest of his remarks inaudible. The segment aired on ABC and was tied to Rodriguez's week-three appearance on the competition.

Rodriguez's run and Kimmel's 'human Air Bud' framing

Kimmel told the audience Rodriguez could not join him in Brooklyn because he was still competing on "Dancing with the Stars," where he has survived two eliminations despite receiving the lowest score both weeks. Kimmel compared his sidekick's survival to the cartoon character Mr. Magoo walking through a construction site unscathed and later called him "a human Air Bud" for reaching week three. Rodriguez joined the monologue via video call and told Kimmel, "I'm learning faster. It's good. I like it."

Tuesday's foxtrot and the Steelers shout-out

Kimmel said Rodriguez will perform the foxtrot to Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" on the Tuesday episode of "Dancing With the Stars." He also noted that after the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals, the team posted a photo of Rodriguez to celebrate the win, even though Rodriguez is a Dallas Cowboys fan. Kimmel closed the segment by telling Rodriguez, "So, Guillermo, we'll be watching you tomorrow. We will be voting for you tomorrow. Break a leg, but try not to break a leg."

Kimmel's apparent nod to Trump's 'Trump Dividend'

The $5,000 figure echoes a promise Donald Trump made during his midterm convention speech earlier this month, when he vowed to pay out a $5,000 "Trump Dividend" if Republicans retained control of Congress; that vow drew criticism as a potential voter bribe. By invoking it on his own show, Kimmel used Rodriguez's DWTS campaign to satirize that earlier political pledge while urging viewers to vote for his sidekick.

Where the promise stands

It remains unclear how seriously Kimmel meant the payout; the transcript notation recorded only the "Signed by Donald Trump" tag line, with the rest of his post-declaration remarks drowned out by audience noise. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" continues weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC, and the next verifiable milestone is Rodriguez's Tuesday foxtrot performance on "Dancing With the Stars."