President Donald Trump has launched a fresh verbal assault on comedian Jimmy Kimmel, while confidently predicting his upcoming turn as host of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors will break ratings records.
A Presidential Prediction and a Comedic Feud
The remarks came during an Oval Office ceremony on Saturday, 7th December 2025, where Trump presented medals to that year's group of Kennedy Center honorees. The recipients included actor Sylvester Stallone and members of the legendary rock band KISS, alongside singers George Strait and Gloria Gaynor, and English actor Michael Crawford.
Trump, who is set to host the glitzy awards ceremony on Sunday, will become the first sitting president ever to take on the hosting role. Past hosts have included luminaries such as Leonard Bernstein, Glenn Close, and David Letterman.
"I'm going to make a prediction," Trump declared. "This will be the highest rated show they've ever done." He then added with sarcasm, "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."
Trump's Barbs at Kimmel and 'Woke' Programming
Trump directly contrasted his anticipated performance with that of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. "I've watched some of the people that host; Jimmy Kimmel was horrible," Trump stated. He then made a striking connection between his hosting abilities and his fitness for office, saying, "If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent then I don't think I should be president."
The long-running feud between the two figures is well-documented. Kimmel has frequently targeted Trump in his monologues, recently describing him as a "chubby little teacup" and suggesting he had suffered a stroke. Trump has consistently fired back, dismissing Kimmel's "zero talent" and criticising his show's ratings.
Trump's involvement with the Kennedy Center has been transformative since he returned to office in January 2025. He ousted the centre's existing board of trustees, replacing them with loyalists including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. This new board then voted for Trump to become its chairman.
In recent months, the president has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the institution's previous direction, labelling its programming as "terrible" and "woke." He claimed to be "98% involved" in selecting this year's honorees and stated he had "turned down plenty" of potential recipients because "they were too woke."
Ceremony Caps Trump's Takeover of Cultural Institution
Sunday's black-tie event, which will be taped for broadcast later in December, represents the culmination of Trump's sweeping changes at the Kennedy Center. The awards are a significant national honour, recognising lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
The ceremony marks a notable moment where the president has placed himself squarely at the centre of a major cultural event, directly engaging in a public war of words with a prominent entertainer while staking his presidential credibility on the success of his hosting performance. All eyes will now be on the ratings and reviews when the broadcast airs.
