Presidential politics wasn't far from mind at the Emmy Awards.
Former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush had a cameo on host Jimmy Kimmel's opening comedy segment and Kimmel referenced Republican nominee Donald Trump in his monologue, pointing out the man in the audience who made him a television star.
Later, "Veep" Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus "apologized" for the current political climate.
"Thanks to Mark Burnett, we don't have to watch reality shows anymore, because we're living them," Kimmel said. Burnett cast Trump in "The Apprentice," the hit series that gave him a catchphrase ("you're fired") and a larger public profile.
"If it wasn't for television, would Donald Trump be running for president?" Kimmel asked.
Bush portrayed the limo driver for Louis-Dreyfus. "Did you know you can make $12 an hour driving for Uber?" he asked Kimmel.
Bush asked Kimmel if he was a nominee, and when Kimmel said yes, Bush said, "Wow, what's that like?"
He told Kimmel that if he ran a positive campaign, the voters will ultimately make the right choice. "That was a joke," he quickly added.
Louis-Dreyfus, accepting her fifth consecutive Emmy as best actress in a comedy for her lead role in the HBO comedy, said "Veep" has "torn down the wall between comedy and politics.
"Our show started out as political satire," she said, "but now it feels like a sober documentary."
She promised to "rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it."
For her part, Kate McKinnon thanked Hillary Clinton when she accepted her best supporting actress in a comedy series award for her work on "Saturday Night Live."
Congratulations on your Emmy, Kate! Big fan of yours, too. pic.twitter.com/w00QO1GwyH
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 19, 2016
