Jimmy Kimmel Fires Back at Trump's Oscars Criticism Amid Hush Money Trial

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has responded to former President Donald Trump's social media posts criticizing his performance as host of the 95th Academy Awards. Trump, who is currently facing criminal charges in New York related to hush money payments, took to his Truth Social platform to call Kimmel "stupid," "a fool," and the "WORST HOST EVER" of the Oscars.

In a lengthy monologue on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel fact-checked Trump's claims line-by-line, pointing out several errors in the former president's post. Kimmel noted that contrary to Trump's assertion, the Oscars ratings actually increased by 4% compared to the previous year. He also clarified that he did not present the award for Best Picture, which Trump had incorrectly attributed to him, confusing Kimmel with actor Al Pacino.

Kimmel expressed amazement that Trump was still bothered by a joke from the Oscars five weeks ago, even as he faces a criminal trial with 34 charges against him. "Trump spent his day off from court posting 165 venomous words about me, rather than spending time with his family," Kimmel quipped. He joked that Trump may have "dreamed" of him presenting the Best Picture award during his "courtroom siestas" at the ongoing trial.

Why this matters: The public feud between Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump highlights the intersection of politics, celebrity, and the legal system. As a former president faces unprecedented criminal charges, his focus on a comedian's performance at an awards show weeks ago raises questions about priorities and the blurring of lines between entertainment and serious matters of national importance.

Kimmel also pushed back on Trump's claims that he suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and that Kimmel's wife had begged him not to read Trump's tweet aloud at the Oscars. Despite Trump considering Kimmel the "worst host ever," Kimmel revealed that he was asked to host the show again next year, which he was not initially planning to do but may now consider just to spite Trump. Fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert also came to Kimmel's defense, mocking Trump's "obsession with the Academy Awards from five weeks ago" and offering him a fictitious award for "outstanding achievement in syphilitic ramble in a social media post."

Key Takeaways

• Jimmy Kimmel responded to Trump's criticism of his Oscars hosting performance.
• Kimmel fact-checked Trump's claims, noting the Oscars ratings increased, not decreased.
• Kimmel expressed amazement that Trump was still bothered by an Oscars joke.
• The feud highlights the intersection of politics, celebrity, and the legal system.
• Kimmel was asked to host the Oscars again next year, which he may do to spite Trump.