Donald Trump Criticizes Jimmy Kimmel as Oscar Host, Calls Him 'Lousy'

Written by Chris Murphy

Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel have never been on friendly terms. On Sunday, Trump appeared as a guest on Fox News' Media Buzz, where he took a shot at Kimmel's recent job as an Oscar host. “Jimmy Kimmel criticizes me every night, I guess. His ratings are very low,” Trump expressed. “I heard he criticizes me constantly, so I decided to retaliate because I believed he was a pathetic host.”

Trump might have been extra sensitive to Kimmel’s Oscar hosting as he was the subject of one of that night's most popular jokes. Before Al Pacino stumbled through the announcement of the best-picture, Kimmel came onstage and read Trump’s “critique” of the 96th Academy Awards from Truth Social. “Has there ever been someone hosting the Oscars worse than Jimmy Kimmel?” Kimmel relayed Trump’s message to the audience. “His opening was mediocre at its best, trying too hard to portray what he is not and never will be.”

However, Kimmel had the final word: “I’m surprised you’re still awake. Isn't it your bedtime?” Kimmel joked after reading Trump’s "critique," and received a hearty applause from the room.

Per Kimmel, he was instructed not to share Trump’s social media post on stage, but he did anyway. “They told me, 'You’ve got a few minutes' and I said, 'I’ll read the Trump tweet,’" he disclosed in an interview with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on Live With Kelly and Mark following the Oscars. “They said, 'No, no, don’t do that.’ I replied, 'Yes, I am doing it.’”

On Media Buzz, Trump responded to Kimmel’s statement that he was advised against sharing Trump’s post, going as far as offering a reason for Kimmel’s actions. “Now the biggest news is that they all pleaded with him not to do it…‘don’t do it,’” Trump articulated. “He probably reacted quickly without thinking because he was on air. He read my Truth [Social post] because he wanted to challenge me, I guess.”

Trump couldn't stop himself from throwing another verbal jab at Kimmel. “I thought, ‘This guy is even less intelligent than I assumed,’” Trump opined. “It went viral. Now it can be seen all over the world, and all he needed to do was keep quiet." While Trump may not have been impressed, the rest of the world seemed to enjoy this year's Oscars. The 2024 ceremony managed to attract 19.5 million viewers, marking the largest viewership in four years. This isn't bad for a so-called “inept host.”