President Donald Trump continued to display his late-night TV obsession over the weekend. President Trump used the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony to take another public swipe at Jimmy Kimmel, continuing a feud that has become one of late-night’s most reliably recurring dramas.
Speaking to reporters after giving the 2025 honorees their medallions on Saturday, Dec. 6, Trump discussed his preparations for the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, which he hosted on Sunday, Dec. 7. While reflecting on his preparation for the televised celebration, he claimed he had studied previous hosts for inspiration. That’s when the president took aim squarely at Jimmy Kimmel.
“I watched some of the people that host,” Trump said. “Jimmy Kimmel was horrible. If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
There was one problem: Kimmel has never hosted the Kennedy Center Honors. The late-night star appeared at the Honors in 2012 to salute David Letterman and was on hand to honor Jon Stewart during the Mark Twain Prize ceremony in 2022. But he has never held the host role despite Trump's review. However, President Trump has never been one to let facts get in the way of attacking an enemy, especially when it comes to late-night TV stars.
The Kennedy Center Honors itself has long had a meaningful relationship with late-night television. Not only have late-night hosts like David Letterman and Stephen Colbert hosted the broadcast, but the Honors have recognized several giants of the genre. The Mark Twain Prize ceremony also takes place at the Kennedy Center, recently honoring the likes of Conan O'Brien, Adam Sandler, as well as the aforementioned Jon Stewart.
But Trump’s growing direct involvement with the Kennedy Center could signal a shift in how the events involve late-night TV. Earlier this year, Trump effectively named himself the center's chairman. So the idea of another late-night personality receiving an award anytime soon is likely out of the question. Even getting any stars from the genre to attend an event seems far-fetched at this point.
The Jimmy Kimmel-Donald Trump feud keeps going and going
Donald Trump has always had something to say about late-night TV. He's used social media and public appearances to bash Saturday Night Live, Seth Meyers, and Stephen Colbert. But the president seems extra focused on Jimmy Kimmel in recent years, going so far as to repeatedly call for ABC to cancel Kimmel. But each time, Kimmel has a response.
For Kimmel, taking shots at Trump is part of the job description. For Trump, taking shots at Kimmel has become something of a reflex. Each time one man fires, the other inevitably responds, creating a feedback loop of insults that neither seems particularly interested in escaping.
This latest jab from Trump was delivered during one of the country’s most revered cultural events and suggests that even the formality of the Kennedy Center Honors isn’t enough to pause the feud. Then again, maybe President Trump feels Kimmel has the advantage with his nightly monologues on ABC. So the president doesn't want to pass up any opportunity that comes up and gives him the chance to slam the late-night comedian.