ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel read President Trump’s Truth Social criticism of his performance hosting the Academy Awards during the live broadcast Sunday night. Kimmel pulled out his cellphone and read Trump’s ‘Truth’ aloud for the worldwide audience to hear.
Kimmel read about half the statement by Trump, the parts ripping himself and ABC News host George Stephanopoulos. Kimmel skipped over Trump’s harsh criticism for the Oscars show itself but read the end comment, “Make America Great Again!” Kimmel closed with a jab back at Trump, thanking him and asking, “Isn’t it past your jail time?”, which drew a big laugh from the Hollywood glitterati in attendance.
Trump’s Truth Social posted at 9:39 p.m. EDT:
“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be. Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC “talent,” George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous. Also a really bad politically correct show tonight, and for years – Disjointed, boring, and very unfair. Why don’t they just give the Oscars to those that deserve them. Maybe that way their audience and TV ratings will come back from the depths. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Video clip posted by the Hollywood Reporter:
Jimmy Kimmel calls out Donald Trump at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/bAGWxUFg9P
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024
Kimmel may think he was scoring points against Trump, yet what he did was give about a minute of free airtime to the leading presidential candidate on one the most watched broadcasts in the U.S. (even with its recent decline in viewership) and around the world.
Kimmel and Trump have been feuding for years. Last month Trump hit Kimmel over his saying he might be ending his run as ABC late night host, “They could get a far more talented person, who would also get better Ratings, for 5% of what they are paying this Loser!”
The Daily Beast reported Kimmel’s response that night on his ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live (excerpt):
“This apparently caught the attention of America’s most famous tangerine,” Kimmel joked, relaying Trump’s message.
“And I got to say that is a hell of a way to find out you’re not going be somebody’s running mate. He has no idea how delighted I am by something like this. I’m going to try to enjoy it, because he probably won’t be able to do this when they take away his phone in prison, so I’m going really like, soak it in.”
Trump’s comments about low ratings for the Oscars broadcast are accurate. According to Statista, the number of viewers is way down from previous years:
In 2023, around 18.7 million Americans watched the Academy Awards ceremony. Oscars viewership fluctuates year by year, however the last time the ceremony drew in a U.S. audience of more than 40 million was back in 2014. The figure recorded in 2021 was the lowest yet, and marked a drop-off of over 50 percent from the 2020 audience.
This year’s ratings should do better with the popularity of the twin summer blockbusters Oppenheimer and Barbie that had several Oscar nominations. (Spoiler: Oppenheimer won big at the Oscars Sunday night but Barbie stole the show with the live performance of “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling featuring Slash.)