Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to the Oscars as a presenter, using his time in the spotlight to deliver a series of pointed jokes aimed at Donald and Melania Trump, with whom he has had a longstanding rivalry.
The comedian has repeatedly taken jabs at the president’s administration, and likewise, the president has mocked Kimmel’s hosting skills.
How Jimmy Kimmel Dissed Donald Trump And His Wife At The Oscars
Kimmel made a memorable appearance at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, immediately poking fun at his own history with the show by joking that he wasn’t hosting this year. Conan O’Brien hosted.
Stepping up to introduce the winners for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short, the 58-year-old comedian used the categories to target Melania. He spoke about the true courage required to film stories in countries where leaders suppress free speech, specifically mentioning North Korea and CBS.
Kimmel then contrasted these high-stakes films with the First Lady’s documentary. In his words:
“Fortunately, for all of us, there is an international community of filmmakers dedicated to telling the truth, oftentimes at great risk, to make films that teach us, that call out injustice, that inspire us to take action. And there are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes.”
Per People Magazine, Kimmel didn’t stop there. As he introduced the feature-length nominees, he jokingly predicted that Donald would be “mad” that his wife wasn’t nominated in the category.
This follows the president’s public praise of the film, where he called Melania a “movie star” and described the project as “hot” during a recent address to House Republicans.
Jimmy Kimmel Publicly Raised Questions About Ticket Sales To ‘Melania’
While the Oscars provided a massive stage for his jokes, Kimmel’s skepticism regarding the former first family’s cinematic ventures actually began weeks earlier.
During a February monologue, the late-night host openly questioned the legitimacy of the $7 million opening-weekend box-office numbers reported for the “Melania” documentary.
According to The Blast, he noted that while the figures were surprisingly high, many theaters across the country appeared to be largely empty in the days leading up to the release.
Kimmel also highlighted industry reports suggesting that the impressive ticket haul may have resulted from bulk purchases rather than organic audience interest.
The Comedian Called The President ‘Stupid’
Weeks after Kimmel questioned the legitimacy of the “Melania” ticket sales, he took another direct jab at the president during his monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
The host delivered a stinging rebuke of Donald’s recent response to skyrocketing fuel costs, per The Blast.
Kimmel pointed out that gas prices had risen every single day for nearly two weeks but noted that the man he nicknamed “Ex-con Mobile” seemed unbothered by the trend.
The comedian specifically targeted a Truth Social post in which the president argued that, as a major oil producer, the United States benefits financially when prices rise.
He took particular joy in highlighting a typo in the president’s message, where he claimed his priority was stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Seizing on the misspelling, the late-night host quipped that if the president is busy “stoping” an evil empire, he might truly be the “stupidest president of all time.”
Jimmy Kimmel Also Had A Few Thoughts About Donald Trump’s ‘SOTU’ Speech
Kimmel’s monologue wasn’t the first time he directly criticised the president’s actions. After Donald addressed the State of the Union address, the comedian criticised the speech, noting that it was dark and “angry.”
Kimmel joked that the actual theme of the night was “all foreigners are murderers,” a jab at the President’s focus on reducing illegal immigration.
The comedian also didn’t hold back on the President’s physical appearance during the broadcast, mocking his hair as looking like a “cloud on top of a sweet potato.”
According to The Blast, the roast even extended to the president’s marriage, as Kimmel linked the policy speech back to Melania.
He quoted a line where Trump boasted that zero illegal aliens had been admitted under his watch, but Kimmel added his own twist by suggesting that “the door is always open” for those who arrive legally to become the next Mrs. Trump.
Donald Trump Mocked Jimmy Kimmel’s Hosting Abilities
Amid Kimmel’s public criticism of Donald, the president hasn’t been quiet either. He launched his own counter-offensive from the Oval Office.
In December, the 79-year-old commander-in-chief specifically called out Kimmel’s past hosting performances, labeling the comedian “horrible” and “terrible,” per The Blast.
He declared that if he couldn’t outperform Kimmel in terms of hosting talent, he didn’t believe he should be president at all.
Trump also predicted that when the event eventually airs on CBS later this month, it will break records as the highest-rated program the network has ever produced.