Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Donald Trump while presenting an award at the 2026 Oscars.
Kimmel kicked his rivalry with the U.S. president back into gear when announcing the winner for Best Documentary Feature – poking fun at Melania Trump’s critically maligned documentary released earlier this year.
“Oh man, is he gonna be mad his wife wasn't nominated for this,” Kimmel said without specifically name-checking Trump.
A documentary about the First Lady was released in January and, despite struggling to sell tickets ahead of time, it surpassed expectations, grossing $7 million on its opening weekend.
Kimmel previously commented on the takings, saying on his show: “Speaking of rigged outcomes, the Melania documentary. A lot of people, myself included, have been wondering how this movie managed to sell $7 million worth of tickets last weekend when almost every theater seemed to be empty leading up to the release.”
The TV host had earlier side-stepped mentioning Trump’s name while calling out “some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech”. He added: “I’m not at liberty to say which, but let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.”
Kimmel was referencing CBS’s cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, which was announced in 2025. The U.S. network said it was a “financial decision.”
The late-night host regularly feuds with Trump, with the president branding Kimmel “the worst host” the Oscars has ever had.
In 2024, Kimmel read aloud a statement posted by Trump on his social media site Truth Social, in which the former U.S. president attacked the presenter’s hosting abilities.
“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars,” Trump wrote. “His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be.” In response, Kimmel joked: “Isn’t it past your jail time?”
In September 2025, Trump gloated over the temporary suspension of Kimmel’s late-night show after the host’s comments about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The move arrived after Kimmel said on his show: “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.”
Trump quickly took to social media to gloat over the situation, writing: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.”
The 2026 Oscars saw One Battle After Another take home Best Picture, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson and Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, who snubbed the ceremony.
Hamnet star Jessie Buckley won Best Actress while Michael B Jordan won Best actor for Sinners. Meanwhile, Amy Madigan took home Best Supporting Actress for her role in horror film Weapons.
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