Jimmy Kimmel suspended the Academy Awards ceremony to hit back at Donald Trump, who criticized his performance in “Truth Social.”
Kimmel read aloud to the audience Sunday his critique of Trump as Oscar host before Al Pacino took to the stage to present Best Picture to “Oppenheimer.” “Has there ever been a worse host than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars? His beginnings are a below-average human trying too hard to be something he's not, and something he'll never be.” “It was,” Trump wrote. Kimmel didn't hold back. “Well, thank you, President Trump. Look, thank you for having him, I’m surprised he’s still in prison – isn’t his sentence already over?”
Donald Trump provoked Jimmy Kimmel, who was hosting the Oscars ceremony. pic.twitter.com/u3DkGVBtuF
— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) March 11, 2024
Mr. Trump has a history of violent outbursts at award shows, and he had many choice words for Mr. Kimmel, and he wasn't shy about sharing them.
“Kimmel should be fired and perhaps replaced with another washed-up but cheap ABC 'talent' George Slopanopoulos,” Trump wrote.
“He would make everyone on stage look bigger, stronger and more attractive,” he said.
US President Donald Trump shouts to journalists from across the South Lawn as he departs the White House in Washington, DC, on November 29, 2017.Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump went on to say, “It's another really bad politically correct show tonight, and it's been for years. It's disjointed, it's boring, it's very unfair.”
“Why don't we give the Oscars to the people who deserve them? That could bring the ratings and TV ratings back from rock bottom. Let's make America great again!”
Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks on stage at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony held at the Dolby Theater on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks on stage at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony held at the Dolby Theater on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Kimmel began the pushback by saying, Anyone? no? ” Before criticizing the former president for his prison comments. (Related: Jimmy Kimmel's Oscar for Best Gingers & Stingers)
Many people enthusiastically applauded Kimmel's witty comeback, and celebrities in the audience went wild.
