Jimmy Kimmel made a comeback to late-night television on Monday after his winter break, and he wasted no time in poking fun at Donald Trump for the low ratings of the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast. During his monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” he quipped about Trump boasting about his hosting skills and high ratings, only for the event to end up with the lowest viewership in the history of the Kennedy Center Honors.
The Kennedy Center Honors, which took place on December 7 and was hosted by Trump, attracted an average of 3.01 million viewers, marking a 25% decrease from the previous year’s record low of 4.1 million viewers.
Kimmel humorously suggested that Trump should fulfill his promise to step down if he couldn’t outshine Kimmel in the ratings. He jokingly mentioned the White House intern who had to remove and eat the headlines about the low ratings. The comedian playfully teased Trump, saying, “A deal is a deal. Back to Mar-a-Lago you go.”
It was noted that Trump made history as the first sitting president to host the Kennedy Center Honors, an event that celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to society. The 2025 honorees included George Strait, Sylvester Stallone, KISS, Michael Crawford, and Gloria Gaynor.
During his second term, Trump seemed fixated on the Kennedy Center, going as far as renaming it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” This controversial move sparked outrage, leading to several scheduled performances being canceled in protest.
Overall, it seems that Trump’s foray into hosting the Kennedy Center Honors did not go as planned, and Jimmy Kimmel didn’t miss the opportunity to poke fun at the former president’s misfortune. It will be interesting to see if Trump will keep his promise to step down if he couldn’t surpass Kimmel’s ratings.
