PoliticsJimmy Kimmel Trolls Donald Trump About Ditching Presidency After Hosting 'Lowest Rated Kennedy Center Honors Telecast of All Time'
The broadcast of the annual ceremony saw a 25 percent decline in viewership compared to 2024.
Jan. 6 2026, Published 12:31 p.m. ET
Jimmy Kimmel continues to taunt Donald Trump.
In his first monologue of 2026 on Monday, January 5, the comedian once again laid into the 79-year-old president — this time mocking him about the low ratings the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast received.
"You know he hosted an awards show over the break," Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "After boasting about what a great host he is and how much better he is than I am and how huge his ratings would be, Trump hosted the lowest rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast of all time."
The late-night host trolled Donald Trump for the Kennedy Center Honors' low ratings.
'He Said He’d Step Down If This Happened'
'As I recall, he said he’d step down if this happened,' the comedian noted.
Per a report from Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data, the ceremony — which Trump hosted on December 7, 2025 — averaged 3.01 million viewers. That represents a 25 percent decline from 2024’s numbers.
"Boy, I’d hate to be the White House intern who had to tear that headline out of all the papers and eat ’em," Kimmel, 58, quipped.
"You know, as I recall, he said he’d step down if this happened," the late-night host added. "He said, 'If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel, then I don’t think I should be president.' Hey, a deal is a deal. Back to Mar-a-Lago you go."
Donald Trump Predicted the Broadcast Would Draw Record Ratings
Donald Trump was the first president in history to host the Kennedy Center Honors.
Trump was the first president in history to host the annual event that "recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world."
The commander-in-chief, who has been facing backlash for adding his name to the Kennedy Center, predicted the December 23 telecast on CBS and Paramount+ would draw record ratings.
The 2025 honorees included Sylvester Stallone, KISS, George Strait, Michael Crawford and Gloria Gaynor.
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Donald Trump Didn't Prepare for the Hosting Job
The president presented Sylvester Stallone with a medallion in the Oval Office on December 6, 2025.
The POTUS admitted he didn’t prepare for the hosting gig, claiming he wanted "to be a little bit loose." He told reporters, "You know what you have to be? You have to be yourself."
While presenting several of the honorees with their medals in the Oval Office the day before, he embarrassingly mispronounced Stallone's name.
Trump appeared to fumble the "t" in the legendary Rocky star's surname twice, introducing the 79-year-old actor — whom he called "a friend" — as "Sallone."
Donald Trump struggled to pronounce Sylvester Stallone's name correctly.
Jimmy Kimmel Thanked Donald Trump in His 'Best Talk Show' Acceptance Speech
Jimmy Kimmel thanked the president during his acceptance speech for Best Talk Show at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, January 4.
Kimmel's trolling of Trump on Monday night came one day after he thanked the president while accepting the award for Best Talk Show at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.
During his acceptance speech, he told viewers, "And most of all, I want to thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom, we would be going home empty-handed tonight."
The moment arrived after his show was temporarily suspended in September 2025 in response to Kimmel's comments about the assassination of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
