Donald Trump slams Jimmy Kimmel for Oscars flub, seemingly mixing him up with Al Pacino
More than a month later, former President Donald Trump has some thoughts on the Academy Awards, though he may have misremembered a few key details.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump slammed "stupid" Jimmy Kimmel for his "horrendous performance" as host of the 2024 Oscars in March, writing that the comedian "stumbled through announcing" the winner of best picture.
But Al Pacino, not Kimmel, was the one who handed out that award.
"It was a CLASSIC CHOKE, one of the biggest ever in show business, and to top it off, he forgot to say the famous and mandatory line, 'AND THE WINNER IS,'" Trump wrote, still incorrectly attributing Pacino's actions to Kimmel. "Instead he stammered around as he opened the envelope."
Pacino drew confusion after neglecting to say "and the Oscar goes to" before abruptly announcing that "Oppenheimer" had won best picture. Kimmel, however, was not involved in the moment at all.
The late-night host has also mocked Pacino for the best picture flub, saying on "Live with Kelly and Mark" the next day, "I guess he's never watched an awards show before?" Trump's Truth Social post never mentioned Pacino.
In response, Kimmel wrote on X, "In fairness to our former president, many stable geniuses confuse me with Al Pacino."
Al Pacinosays Oscars best picture winner confusion was due to 'a choice by the producers'
Trump previously slammed Kimmel for his performance as an Oscar host in a Truth Social post that the comedian proceeded to read on air during the ceremony. The former president wrote that Kimmel is a "less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not," to which the comedian responded by quipping on stage, "Isn't it past your jail time?"
Jimmy Kimmelfires back after Trump slams 'boring' Oscars: 'Isn't it past your jail time?'
Kimmel later said on "Live with Kelly and Mark" that he was told not to read the Trump post, but decided to do so anyway. "They were like, 'You've got a little bit of time,'" he recalled. "I was like, 'I'm reading the Trump tweet.' They were like, 'No, no, don't read that!' Yes I am."
In his Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump wrote that Kimmel showed that he suffered from "TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME" when he read his words on air during the Oscars and was "made to look like a FOOL, which he is." He also blamed Kimmel for a "big ratings drop" despite the fact that, according to ABC, the 2024 Academy Awards reached a four-year viewership high.
