A Surprise Social Media Callout
While hosting the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday night, late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel took a moment to address a social media post from former President Donald Trump criticizing his performance. Kimmel pulled out his phone midway through the ceremony and read Trump’s insult-laden Truth Social post aloud to the celebrity-packed audience.
Trump’s Rant Against the Host
In the post, Trump complained, “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars?” He called Kimmel’s opening “that of a less than average person trying too hard” and suggested replacing him with a “washed up” ABC host. Kimmel summarized it by saying “Blah, blah, blah, make America great again.”
A Playful Jab Back at Trump
After reading Trump’s insult, Kimmel played it off with a smile, asking the audience “OK now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that?” When the audience remained silent, he revealed it was Trump and quipped “Thank you President Trump. I’m surprised you’re still – isn’t it past your jail time?” drawing cheers and laughs.
Kimmel seemed to revel in getting under Trump’s skin, telling reporters backstage that he purposely read the post when producers told him he had extra time to fill it. He explained “They’re like ‘Don’t read that’ and I was like ‘Yes I am.'”
This wasn’t Kimmel’s first Trump jab of the night either. During his opening monologue, he made a couple of jokes at the former president’s expense. Clearly, Trump’s social media criticism gave Kimmel the perfect opportunity to get in one more playful dig live on the international television broadcast.
