Oscars 2024: During the 96th Academy Awards host Jimmy Kimmel read aloud a recent social media post from former US President Donald Trump during the live telecast. The post, which bashed Kimmel as the Oscars host, was read out by Kimmel just before Al Pacino presented the Best Picture award.
In the scathing post, Trump criticised Kimmel's hosting skills, stating, "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."
Trump was, of course, referring to George Stephanopoulos, adding, "He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous."
Trump continued describing the Oscars as a "really bad politically correct show," deeming it "disjointed, boring, and very unfair."
He concluded by asking: "Why don't they just give the Oscars to those that deserve them. Maybe that way their audience and TV ratings will come back from the depths. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
In response to Trump's criticism, Kimmel fired back on stage, saying, "Blah, blah, blah ... Okay, now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that on TruthSocial. Anyone? No? Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I'm surprised you're still -- isn’t it past your jail time?"
Kimmel's dig at Trump added a touch of political banter to the event.
Politics continued to have a notable presence at the Oscars, with attendees like Mark Ruffalo and Billie Eilish wearing red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the evening was not without its share of disruptions, as protests related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza drew hundreds of attendees around the Kodak Theater, causing a delay in the ceremony start time.