With a few minutes to spare, Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel closed out the Academy Awards Sunday night by reading former President Trump's post about the ceremony on Truth Social. Kimmel was reportedly told not to read the post on the air, but did so anyway.
"They are like, you got a little bit of time," Kimmel told Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on "Live with Kelly & Mark" Monday. "I’m like, ‘I’m reading the Trump tweet.' They’re like, ‘No, no, don’t read that.' I’m like, ‘Yes I am.'"
Trump posted a criticism of Kimmel and his Oscar's performance to the social media site that questioned if there "has there ever been a worse host than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars." Kimmel said he received a "review," and read the social media post aloud.
"His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be," Trump posted. "Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous. Blah. Blah. Blah. Make America Great Again."
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Earlier in the day, Stephanopoulos came under fire for "shaming" Congresswoman Nancy Mace, R-S.C., over her endorsement of former President Trump in a contentious interview.
"Thank you, President Trump," Kimmel said in response. "Thank you for watching. I’m surprised you’re still, ah…isn’t it past your jail time?" The audience cheered, clapped and laughed in response.
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Prior to the show, Kimmel went on CNN proclaiming he likely wouldn't spend much time talking politics, but added "there might be something that pops up and I put it in at the last minute."
"One of the most fun parts of my job is knowing that he hates being made fun of and making fun of him," Kimmel said during the interview, referring to Trump. "And then, every once in a while, he reminds us that he hates it and he gets mad. So, I love that. I take some pleasure in it."
Earlier in the show Kimmel also took aim at Republican Alabama Senator Katie Britt, who delivered the GOP response to President Biden's State of the Union address.
"Emma Stone is an Oscar nominee for a fifth time, right?" Kimmel said. "You were so unbelievably great in ‘Poor Things,’" he added. "Emma played an adult woman with the brain of a child, like the lady who gave the rebuttal to the State of the Union on Thursday night."
Stone went on to win Best Actress for the movie.
Fox News' Jeffrey Clark and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
