It was nearly the end of the 96th Academy Awards in March 2024. Most people were checking their watches, waiting for Best Picture to wrap up so they could finally go to sleep. Then Jimmy Kimmel pulled out his phone. He didn’t just check his notifications; he read a live review from Truth Social that turned into one of the most viral moments in awards show history.
The donald trump jimmy kimmel tweet (technically a Truth Social post, but we all call them tweets anyway) wasn't some scripted bit the producers had been polishing for weeks. In fact, they tried to stop him. Kimmel went rogue, and the result was a "jail time" quip that still rings through social media years later.
The Post Heard 'Round the Dolby Theatre
Donald Trump is a known Oscars critic. He’s been posting about the declining quality of the show for over a decade. But this time, it felt personal. While the ceremony was still airing, Trump took to his keyboard to blast Kimmel's hosting abilities.
He didn't hold back. Trump asked if there had ever been a "worse host" and called Kimmel's opening the work of a "less than average person." He even suggested replacing him with George Stephanopoulos, whom he mockingly called "George Slopanopoulos." It was classic Trump—hyperbolic, nicknames included, and ending with a "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" in all caps.
Backstage, the vibe was frantic. Producers saw the post. They knew Kimmel was a loose cannon when it came to his late-night rival, but the Oscars usually try to stay somewhat "above the fray."
"Don't Read That"
Kimmel later revealed to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that showrunners were practically begging him to leave it alone. They told him he had a few extra minutes of airtime because Al Pacino had rushed through the Best Picture announcement. Kimmel saw his opening.
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"I'm reading the Trump tweet," he told them.
The producers’ response? A firm "No, no, don't read that."
He did it anyway. Honestly, that’s just Jimmy. He thrives on that specific kind of discomfort. When he stepped back out and asked the audience to guess which former president had just posted about him, you could feel the oxygen leave the room for a split second before the laughter hit.
The "Jail Time" Heard Around the World
The climax of the moment wasn't just Kimmel reading the insults. It was the rebuttal. Kimmel looked into the camera, thanked Trump for watching, and then dropped the hammer: "Isn't it past your jail time?"
It was a sharp, direct reference to the various legal battles Trump was facing at the time. The audience—a room full of Hollywood’s elite—erupted.
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- Verbatim Quote: Trump wrote, "Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos."
- The Reaction: Stars like Jodie Foster were caught on camera laughing hysterically.
- The Timing: It happened just minutes before the show ended, ensuring it was the last thing everyone talked about the next morning.
Some critics thought it was too political for a night meant to celebrate cinema. Others thought it was the only thing that kept the four-hour telecast from being a total snooze-fest. Regardless of where you land, it boosted the show's relevance in a way a standard monologue never could.
Why This Moment Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we're still talking about a social media post from a couple of years ago. Well, because the feud didn't stop there. It actually escalated into 2025 and 2026.
Just recently, at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, Kimmel was still taking swipes, thanking "Donald Jennifer Trump" for providing him with endless material. The tension between these two has basically become a permanent fixture of the American cultural landscape. It’s not just about a tweet anymore; it’s about two different Americas shouting at each other through the television.
A History of Bad Blood
This wasn't their first rodeo. The donald trump jimmy kimmel tweet was just a high-profile chapter in a book that goes back to 2015.
- October 2015: Trump cancels a scheduled appearance on Kimmel's show at the last minute.
- September 2017: Kimmel goes after the Trump administration's healthcare policies, specifically the Graham-Cassidy bill.
- The 2025 Suspension: Things got really dark in late 2025 when Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly suspended by ABC following a controversial monologue about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Trump celebrated the move on Truth Social, calling it "great news for America."
That 2024 Oscar moment was the bridge between "late-night bickering" and "national news event." It proved that Trump, even when not in the room, is the most influential "guest" any awards show can have.
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How to Handle Viral Moments Like a Pro
Looking back at this specific interaction, there are a few takeaways for anyone navigating the wild world of social media and public branding.
Lean into the conflict. Kimmel didn't ignore the post. He used it. If someone is talking about you, you have the power to frame that conversation. By reading it live, Kimmel took the "mean tweet" and turned it into a trophy.
Know your audience. Kimmel knew the Dolby Theatre crowd would back him up. If he had read that same post at a different venue, it might have bombed.
Keep it short. The best part of the rebuttal was that it was one sentence. "Isn't it past your jail time?" He didn't give a ten-minute speech about democracy. He landed a punch and walked off.
Moving Forward with the Feud
If you're following this saga, the next thing to watch for is the upcoming election cycle and how late-night hosts are being pressured by networks to "tone it down." We’ve seen a shift in 2026 where some stations are more hesitant to air overtly political content, but Kimmel seems to be the one guy refusing to budge.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the raw footage: If you haven't seen the clip lately, go back and watch the 2024 Oscar finale. Pay attention to the background—the producers' faces in the wings tell half the story.
- Monitor Truth Social: If you want to see the "source code" for these feuds, Trump’s personal platform is still where the initial shots are fired before they hit the mainstream news.
- Check late-night ratings: Interestingly, every time Trump and Kimmel go at it, both of their "engagement" metrics spike. It’s a symbiotic relationship, even if they hate each other.
The donald trump jimmy kimmel tweet wasn't just a blip. It was a masterclass in live television and a reminder that in the age of instant feedback, no host—and no president—is ever really off the clock.