During the live broadcast of the Oscars, host Jimmy Kimmel seized a moment just before Al Pacino was to present the Best Picture award to address a recent social media post from Donald Trump, the presumptive presidential candidate for the Republican Party. According to reports from 'Variety', Trump had taken to social media to criticize Kimmel's performance as this year's Oscars host.
In his post, Trump lambasted Kimmel's opening, describing it as the effort of someone attempting to portray themselves as something they're not, and suggested replacing Kimmel with another ABC personality, George Stephanopoulos. Trump even went as far as misspelling Stephanopoulos's name as "George Slopanopoulos," but praised him nonetheless, suggesting he would elevate the presence of everyone on stage.
Trump didn't stop there, expressing disdain for what he deemed a politically correct and uninspiring show, and questioning the fairness of the Oscars' selection process. He concluded with a call to award those who truly deserve it, in a bid to improve the Oscars' audience and TV ratings, punctuating his post with his trademark slogan, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
In response, Kimmel fired back onstage with a sarcastic remark, suggesting Trump's words were repetitive and questioning if the former president was watching from a less-than-ideal setting. Despite Kimmel's retort, 'Variety' highlights that the 2024 Oscars remained mostly devoid of Trump-related discourse until the final moments.
While politics inevitably made an appearance at the high-profile event, with attendees like Mark Ruffalo and Billie Eilish sporting red pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza, the ceremony itself largely steered clear of overt political statements. However, protests related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza caused disruptions around the Kodak Theater, resulting in a slight delay to the ceremony's start.
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