President Donald Trump has taken another shot at Jimmy Kimmel, predicting that he will receive great reviews for hosting the Kennedy Center Honors this weekend. Trump's comments come as he prepares to become the first-ever president to host the prestigious event, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Among the recipients this year are actor Sylvester Stallone and members of the rock band KISS.
During an Oval Office ceremony to present the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees with their medals, Trump joked that he shouldn't be in office if he can't outperform Kimmel. He said, 'If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don't think I should be president.'
Trump's prediction that the event will be the highest-rated show they've ever done has sparked controversy. Kimmel, the host of a late-night talk show on ABC, has exchanged barbs with Trump for years. During recent monologues, he has described Trump as a 'chubby little teacup' and said he appeared to have suffered a stroke. Trump, in turn, has dismissed Kimmel as having 'zero talent' and accused him of poor ratings.
The Kennedy Center Honors, which will be taped and broadcast later in December, marks the culmination of Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center. After returning to office in January, Trump ousted the center's board of trustees and replaced them with loyalists, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who voted for him to become chairman of the board. Trump has also labeled the center's programming as 'terrible' and 'woke', criticizing its promotion of political correctness and leftist ideology.
Despite the controversy, Trump remains confident in his hosting abilities. He added, '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. No, we'll do fine.'
