The 96th Academy Awards may have taken place seven months ago, but you wouldn’t know it based on former President Donald Trump’s insistence on prodding host Jimmy Kimmel about his performance and the ceremony’s ratings.
The Republican presidential nominee inexplicably posted a throwback clip of Kimmel on the Dolby Theatre stage to his personal Truth Social account on Sunday.
“Remember this? What a dope! His wife and agent begged him not to do it, and just before Best Picture Award, yet. He suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump wrote. “All of this on top of really bad ratings for Jimmy, just like failing Bill Maher and the two clowns on CBS and NBC! No talent equals bad ratings!”
Kimmel, never one to take Trump lying down, posted to his Instagram grid in response just a few hours later. It’s the social media rap battle we never knew we needed — but as one comment on Kimmel’s post noted, “I am thoroughly enjoying your ability to get under the skin of this man.”
“Thank you, former President Trump, for again reminding America that everyone laughed at you at the Oscars,” Kimmel wrote, sharing a screen shot of the politician’s Truth Social post. “While the haters say you should be focused on the ‘important’ things, know that I appreciate you always including me and I look forward to visiting you often in jail.”
The late night host even got some promo in his presidential takedown, giving a shoutout to his upcoming interview with Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
“PS,” he wrote, “don’t forget to watch tomorrow night with my guest Gov. Tim Walz!”
It’s not the only time in the last few weeks that Trump has revisited his ire for Kimmel and his Oscars performance. But to go back to the beginning, if you need a refresher, Trump posted a review of Kimmel during the 2024 Oscars, in which he called the ABC comedian the “WORST HOST” and said “get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos.” Ahead of the final category of the night, Kimmel took the Oscars stage and read Trump’s review out load. He then asked the former president, “Isn’t it past your jail time?”
During a campaign speech last month, Trump recapped the Oscars moment, calling Kimmel “this stupid guy” and saying that Kimmel’s wife Molly McNearney and his manager James “Babydoll” Dixon tried to stop Kimmel from responding onstage.
Kimmel, naturally, responded in kind.
“Isn’t that sweet? He’s confusing me with one of his sons again,” Kimmel shot back while hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that same week. “Do you think he’s flirting with me? What is this? When I die, I would like that to be the clip they play at the Emmys in memoriam montage.”
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