Jimmy Kimmel can’t resist a good Donald Trump joke. Over the weekend, Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards, making for a program that many critics believed to be a good one, keeping audiences entertained and steering clear from controversy. In one of the segments, Kimmel brought up Trump, who shared some criticism on his platform Truth Social. Kimmel shared that Oscars programmers wanted him to steer clear of the joke, but that he didn’t listen to them.

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When discussing the program with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Kimmel revealed that backstage had asked him to avoid the joke. “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. “[I was like] ‘Yes I am.’”

The joke popped up mid-broadcast. “I’m really proud of something and I was wondering if I could share it with you. I just got a review,” said Kimmel at the Oscars stage. He then read the post that was shared by Trump. “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars,” reads Trump’s post. “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.”

Kimmel concluded his reading of Trump’s tweet, resulting in a burst of applause and laughter from the audience. “See if you can guess which former president just posted that?” he asked. “Anyone? No? Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?”

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This Sunday’s Oscars

This Sunday marked Kimmel’s fourth time hosting the Oscars. The program was well received by critics, drawing 19.5 million viewers, marking a 4 percent increase in total viewers when compared to last year. It was the most watched Oscars program since 2020.