'I shouldn’t be President': Trump says beating Jimmy Kimmel in hosting is ultimate test
President Donald Trump delivered a mix of humor and barbed commentary while participating in this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, taking aim at late-night American host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel and asserting that his own presidency hinges on outperforming the comedian.
Speaking during Saturday’s ceremony, where he presented medals to honorees including American actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, American country music singer George Strait, singer Gloria Gaynor, English actor Michael Crawford, and the rock band Kiss, Trump injected his remarks with a familiar note of self-assurance and rivalry.
Trump joked about media reviews of his performance, saying, “I’m sure they’ll give me great reviews, right? You know, they’ll say he was horrible. He was terrible. It was a horrible situation,” before adding, “No, we’ll do fine.”
Turning his attention to late-night television, he criticized some past hosts of the gala, singling out Jimmy Kimmel as “horrible,” despite the fact that Kimmel has never hosted a Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. Trump then tied the event to his political stature, claiming, “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
This is only the latest salvo in the ongoing feud between Trump and Kimmel, which intensified after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live in September following controversial remarks Kimmel made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Though the show returned to air days later, the dispute between the former president and the late-night host has continued publicly.
Trump also took the opportunity to highlight his influence over the Kennedy Center itself. He noted that he had been “98 percent” involved in this year’s selection of honorees and claimed he had rejected several candidates he described as “too woke.”
The remarks reflect his continued scrutiny of the cultural institution, which he has previously criticized during his presidency. Shortly after taking office in January, Trump dismissed Biden-era appointees, fired longtime Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter, installed a loyalist in her place, named himself chairman, and introduced a resolution granting himself significant control over program selections.
These actions led to backlash from patrons and performers, with some productions being canceled and some audience members openly expressing disapproval during his appearances.
Looking ahead to his hosting duties for the following night’s gala presentation at the Kennedy Center, Trump predicted record-breaking viewership for CBS. “They’ve gotten some pretty good ratings, but there’s nothing like what’s going to happen tomorrow night,” he said confidently, positioning himself as the central draw of the event. The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, featuring Trump as host, will air later this month on CBS.