In a surprising turn at a prestigious awards ceremony, former US President Donald Trump took a sharp jab at popular late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel. The incident occurred on Saturday as Trump presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center Honours recipients at the Oval Office.
A Presidential First and a Personal Jab
Donald Trump highlighted that his involvement marked a historic first, as no sitting or former president had ever hosted the Kennedy Center Honours before. Addressing reporters, Trump quipped about the potential media reaction to his performance, sarcastically predicting reviews calling him "horrible" and "terrible." He then directly targeted Jimmy Kimmel, stating, "I watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people."
Trump further tied his hosting abilities to his presidential credentials, asserting, "If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president." The former president, who appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center in February, claimed he was "about 98 percent involved" in selecting this year's honourees.
The Escalating Feud: From Suspension to Social Media
This public mockery is the latest chapter in an ongoing conflict between Trump and Kimmel. The feud intensified in September when 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' was suspended for six days following comments the host made after the death of Charlie Kirk. During a UK visit, Trump claimed Kimmel was "fired for lack of talent."
The verbal sparring continued on social media last month. On his platform, Truth Social, Trump launched another attack, labelling Kimmel a "man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS." In a characteristically blunt post, he demanded, "Get the bum off the air!!!"
Kimmel's Response and the 2025 Honourees
Jimmy Kimmel did not ignore the insult. He later addressed Trump's "bum" comment on his show, revealing his wife informed him of the post. With his signature wit, Kimmel noted the timing, teasing, "I’m the bum. And he posted this, I think this is interesting, at 12:49 a.m., 11 minutes after the show ended on the East Coast, which is nice."
Amidst the controversy, the 2025 Kennedy Center Honours celebrated a distinguished group of artists. This year's recipients, selected with Trump's claimed involvement, are:
- Sylvester Stallone (Actor)
- George Strait (Country Music Singer)
- KISS (Rock Band)
- Gloria Gaynor (Disco Icon)
- Michael Crawford (Stage Actor)
The event, intended to celebrate artistic achievement, became a platform for a personal and political rivalry, underscoring how cultural moments continue to intersect with the nation's divisive political discourse.
