Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards for the first time Sunday evening. The late night talk show host took the opportunity during his opening monologue to roast President Donald Trump.
Jimmy Kimmel joked backstage before the Oscars that he was just going to wing his opening monologue speech., according to USA Today. However, the late night talk show host definitely had some jokes prepared ahead of time and even took the chance to take a couple stabs at President Trump.
Kimmel took the stage after Justin Timberlake performed his song “Can’t Stop The Feeling.”
Kimmel joked that his former bandmates from ‘NSync were watching and that “there’s a really good chance” they were going to let him “back in the band.”
Jimmy acknowledged the fact that America was in a divided state at the moment, but then quickly lightened the mood by directing a joke towards Mel Gibson, saying “You look great, I think Scientology is working. I really do.”
“I don’t want to get too serious, but there are millions and millions of people watching right now — and if every one of you took a minute to reach out to one person you disagree with, someone you like, and have a positive, considerate conversation — not as liberals or conservatives, as Americans — if we could all do that, we can make America great again. We really could. It starts with us.”
Kimmel took some jabs at others, like Matt Damon, for instance.
The late night talk show host messed with the actor about his new movie Great Wall losing “$80 million,” joking, “smooth move.”
Jimmy Kimmel definitely did not leave Donald Trump out of his opening monologue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Isvqof7aLs
“I, for one, would like to thank President Trump. Remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars were racist?”
Kimmel made sure to defend esteemed actress Meryl Streep, whom Donald Trump tweeted about, calling her “mediocre.”
“From her mediocre early work in The Deer Hunter and Out of Africa to her underwhelming performance in Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice , Meryl Streep has phoned it in for more than 50 films over the course of her lackluster career.”
Jimmy directed his comment to Meryl, asking her what designer she was wearing that evening: “Nice dress, is that an Ivanka?”
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Kimmel went to move on to give the first award and said that he expected the night to be a fun one.
“We’re going to have fun tonight.”
“I hope we’re going to have fun tonight.”
Many were wondering how Jimmy Kimmel would approach his jokes regarding President Donald Trump.
During an interview with Variety , Kimmel admitted that he didn’t think the awards show would b e all that political.
“I don’t think it will be very political. There will be some element of that to the show. A lot of it depends on what happens.”
Jimmy was very much aware that he would receive criticism for the jokes he told at the Academy Awards regardless of what he said.
Around halfway through the awards show, Kimmel commented that he hadn’t received any angry tweets from Donald Trump yet and that it was beginning to concern him.
[Featured Image by Kevork Djansezian/Stringer/Getty Images]