Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had quite a moment at the Critics Choice Awards held at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. Kimmel came, saw, and conquered as he won the Best Talk Show Host for Jimmy Kimmel Live! at the award ceremony. That’s not it. He also stole the show with his victory speech, where he thanked President Donald Trump. More of a swipe than an acknowledgment, to be precise.
What made Jimmy Kimmel thank Donald Trump in the first place? Here’s untangling this domino effect below for your benefit, reader. In his winning speech, Jimmy Kimmel jokingly said, “I want to thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom we’d be going home empty-handed tonight.”
Jimmy Kimmel roasted Trump after winning the Critics Choice Award for Best Talk Show:
“I want to thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom, we would be going home empty handed tonight. So thank you, Mr. President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and… pic.twitter.com/uHbdIAfBTN
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 5, 2026
Jimmy Kimmel, who frequently makes jokes and delivers monologues made at the expense of Donald Trump, continued in his Critics Choice Awards winning speech: “So thank you, Mr. President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day.”
He also joked about Donald Trump winning the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize and said in his speech, “FIFA Peace Prize would have been better, but this is nice too.” Signing off from the stage, Jimmy Kimmel said this while ending his speech, “It’s been a banner couple of weeks, and we can’t wait to get back on the air tomorrow night to talk about them.”
Jimmy Kimmel opened up about the harsh year he had on the professional front in 2025, in an episode of his show a few weeks ago. Jimmy got emotional talking about the time his show was taken off the air for a while in September 2025.
The pressure to take Jimmy Kimmel Live! Off the air in September was actually a statement from President Donald Trump’s appointee, Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The immense pressure arose after Jimmy Jimmel made a joke after Charlie Kirk’s assassination last year in September.
Coming back to Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional moment on his show, he said during an episode, “This has been a strange year. It’s been a hard year. We’ve had some lows, we’ve had some highs. For me, maybe more than any year of my life. I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and not just for watching. This year, you literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough personally.”
Speaking about his job as a talk show host, Kimmel added, “I know there are a lot harder jobs, but this is not an easy job to do, and sometimes it feels like we’re spinning our wheels. You see so many awful and destructive acts, all this damage we inflict on ourselves on purpose, and it can make you feel crazy trying to wrap your head around these things that are so clearly wrong.”
Jimmy Kimmel, over the years, has never shied away from calling out Donald Trump – be it his Gatsby-themed parties or Melania Trump’s Christmas decorations, SNAP funds, Trump’s big ballroom makeovers, or Trump and Melania’s allegedly troubled marriage.
As Jimmy Kimmel Live! made its way back to air after a brief halt, Jimmy Kimmel took a swipe at Donald Trump, where he 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.”
KIMMEL: “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.” pic.twitter.com/PFXjx3qWU4
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) September 24, 2025
Last month, Donald Trump claimed to be more talented as a host than Jimmy Kimmel. Ahead of his hosting gig at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, Trump had 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.” However, his hosting gig led to an all-time low rating for the network.
