Kimmel Reads Trump’s Mean ‘Tweet’ Live at Oscars
The winners of the 2024 Oscars were fairly predictable, but host Jimmy Kimmel delivered a surprise at the end of the show with an impromptu performance of his recurring sketch “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets.” On Kimmel’s late night show he regularly invites stars to read nasty things random people have posted about them on Twitter (or now X). The twist this time: Kimmel was the celebrity and Donald Trump was the random loser spewing vitriol from his flailing social media site.
When Kimmel started reading, it seemed like he was just poking fun at himself by reading a stranger’s internet commentary. “I just got a review: has there ever been a worst host than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars?” the host read from his phone. “His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not and never can be.”
But the post started to sound eerily familiar when the author launched into a rant about a specific member of the ABC News team, complete with a goofy nickname. Kimmel continued reading: “Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulous. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamourous. Blah, blah, blah, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Jimmy Kimmel calls out Donald Trump at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/bAGWxUFg9P
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024
Finally, Kimmel identified Trump, saying, “Okay, now see if you can guess which former president just posted that on Truth Social. Anyone?”
Sure enough, Kimmel was reading right from a message Trump had shared with his 6.7 million Truth Social followers about 45 minutes earlier:
Trump has always loved sharing unsolicited pop culture commentary on his social media feeds (who could forget his 2012 obsession with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart? Not me — or Kristen Stewart). But in the last two years he’s seemed particularly desperate for attention during major cultural events that have nothing to do with him. Last year he declared that Rihanna’s widely lauded Super Bowl appearance/pregnancy announcement was an “EPIC FAIL” and the “single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history.” And last month, hours before Taylor Swift appeared at the Super Bowl to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce, Trump tried to steal her spotlight by posting his case for why she owes him big, and couldn’t possibly endorse Joe Biden (again).
Celebrities usually ignore Trump in these situations, particularly now that he’s an ex-president rambling on a social media site barely anyone uses outside of MAGA circles. But in this case, Kimmel’s final burn made it worth him taking Trump’s bait.
“Well, thank you President Trump,” Kimmel responded. “Thank you for watching. I’m surprised you’re still up. Isn’t it past your jail time?”
This post has been updated throughout.