Jimmy Kimmel calls out Trump at the Oscars: ‘Isn’t it past your jail time?’
By Kate Sullivan, CNN
(CNN) — Oscars host and late night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday called out former President Donald Trump on stage after Trump insulted Kimmel and his hosting on social media.
“I was told we have like an extra minute, and I’m really proud of something and I was wondering if I could share it with you. I just got a review,” Kimmel said in the second half of the telecast, before pulling out his phone to read Trump’s Truth Social post out loud – while barely mentioning the former president and presumptive Republican nominee by name.
The post from Trump – which Kimmel read aloud – says, “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.”
“Blah, blah, blah, make America great again,” Kimmel continued. “Ok now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that on Truth Social. Anyone? No?”
“Well, thank you President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still – isn’t it past your jail time?” the comedian said, prompting cheers and laughs from the audience.
The evening marked Kimmel’s fourth time hosting the Academy Awards.
Backstage, Kimmel told Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that the moment came to be because the telecast was running slightly ahead of schedule.
“They’re like, ‘You’ve got a little bit of time’ and I was like, ‘I’m reading the Trump tweet,’ and they’re like, ‘No, no, don’t read that,’” Kimmel said in an interview aired Monday. “[I was like] ‘Yes, I am.’”
Ahead of the show, he told CNN in an interview regarding Trump, “One of the most fun parts of my job is knowing that he hates being made fun of and making fun of him.”
“And then, every once in a while, he reminds us that he hates it and he gets mad. So, I love that. I take some pleasure in it.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report.
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