By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jarrett Renshaw

Los Angeles (Reuters). U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the lack of progress in gun safety was due to intimidation from the gun lobby. Biden called for voters’ support and made it a deciding issue on November 5th during his first public appearance on a talk-show late night.

Biden told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that the National Rifle Association has bullied Republicans into thinking that “if they vote for rational gun policy, they’re going to be primaried.”

Biden, a Democrat, said he is considering additional executive orders, but doesn’t want to emulate his predecessor’s use of the non-legislative strategy, calling it an “abuse of the constitution.”

Jimmy Kimmel Live! Biden appears on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live with a late night host who has talked about weighty topics like U.S. Health Care and the mass-shooting crisis. He is able to relate to voters and convey his message to millions.

Biden’s poor ratings in polls have caused him frustration. There are concerns over high prices for gas and oil, shortages of baby formula, lack of progress on many legislative fronts such as voting rights, abortion rights, gun safety, as well as uncertainties about the future. In the coming weeks, his advisers will be retooling their message to emphasize the good aspects of the economy such as wage and job growth.

“Inflation is the bane of our existence,” Biden said.

He criticised U.S. Oil Majors Exxon Mobil (NYSE) For making large profits without drilling new wells, refining more petrol or drilling for other petroleum products. It instead buys back its own stock.

“I mean, it’s just ass – excuse me – it’s backwards,” Biden said.

Kimmel lightly chided Biden for his continued optimism amid limited progress on his legislative agenda issues, and said how can you play “Monopoly” by the rules with his rival Republicans who don’t.

Biden smiled and joked: “We’ve got to send them to jail,” a reference to a punishment in the board game.

Barack Obama, the former president of the United States was absent from late-night television during Donald Trump’s presidency.

This Wednesday, however, will mark Biden’s first in-studio late-night spot following pandemic-era Zoom interviews with Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

Kimmel’s career began as a comedian and host on Comedy Central’s “The Man Show”. Then he became the host of his own late night show. Kimmel doesn’t shy away from using his platform in order to tackle social problems with a personal twist.

Kimmel spoke passionately about the debate over health-care after his son was born with serious heart problems. Kimmel was also moved to tears by the Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 60 people in 2017.