Donald Trump attended the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington along with his wife, Melania Trump, and the appearance put him on the top of the trends list for multiple reasons and not the best ones (more on that later). Ahead of the ceremony, Trump took a swipe at Late Night show host Jimmy Kimmel.
Ahead of the ceremony, Trump interacted with the press on the sidelines of the event, and he said, “We’ve never had a President hosting the awards before. This is a first. I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews… If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be President.”
.@POTUS on hosting tomorrow’s 48th Kennedy Center Honors: “We’ve never had a President hosting the awards before. This is a first. I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews… If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be President.” pic.twitter.com/Gsfrmc3py1
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 6, 2025
The Kennedy Center Honors event was all but eclipsed by memes centered around Donald Trump’s statement of wanting to nominate himself for the honor. “Maybe I’ll nominate myself,” said a proud Trump, adding, “I think I’ve been pretty good for the arts.”
Jimmy Kimmel isn’t the sole host that Trump has questioned for the lack of talent. Trump had also referred to Seth Meyers as “the least talented person to perform live in the history of television” and called him a “truly deranged lunatic.”
In response to Trump, Meyers had shared a strongly worded reply during a segment of his show. “The President jeopardizing food assistance for tens of millions of Americans matters. What matters far less is when the President posts about me, which he did over the weekend, saying, among other things, that I may be ‘the least talented person to ‘perform’ live in the history of television,’ calling me a ‘deranged lunatic,’ and commenting that I ‘talked endlessly about electric catapults in aircraft carriers.”
BREAKING 🚨 President Trump ends Seth Meyers career in one post on Truth calling out NBC’s 100% Anti Trump policy as probably illegal
I AGREE pic.twitter.com/kpM6r12nvY
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) November 1, 2025
Last month alone, Jimmy Kimmel took several jabs at President Trump – he addressed everything from SNAP funds to Trump’s grand Gatsby-themed Mar-a-Lago Thanksgiving party. The subjects of Kimmel’s mockery were not just restricted to Trump. He joked about Trump’s alleged marriage trouble with Melania as well.
During one of his recent episodes, Jimmy Kimmel said, “Since Trump installed himself as chairman of the board back in February, tickets at the Kennedy Center have taken a nosedive. So far, the Kennedy Center has only sold 57% of its tickets, which is down from 93% this time last year.” Kimmel added, “Everything he touches dies. Good news, Melania, you’re gonna live forever.”
Trump and Jimmy Kimmel’s long-standing rift needs no introduction but for those who require one, the President lauded the temporary suspension of Kimmel’s show Jimmy Kimmel Live! big time in September this year.
After Kimmel’s show returned on air, he took a not-so-subtle swipe at the President, calling him a “bully.” In a strongly-worded rant, Kimmel said, The President of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”
