Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Dec 8: US President Donald Trump on Saturday took a fresh jibe at late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, calling him “horrible” while presenting the 2025 Kennedy Center Honours medals to recipients at the Oval Office.

Speaking to reporters, Trump noted that it was the first time a US President had personally hosted the awards ceremony. “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,” he said, as per Deadline.

Taking a swipe at past hosts, he added, “I watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible… If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”

Trump, who appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center in February, had earlier said he was “about 98 percent involved” in selecting the honourees. This year’s list includes Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford.

His remarks come amid an ongoing feud with Kimmel, which intensified after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended for six days in September for comments the host made following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death. During a recent UK visit, Trump claimed Kimmel was “fired for lack of talent.”

Trump has repeatedly targeted Kimmel on his social media platform Truth Social, branding him a “man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS” and urging networks to “Get the bum off the air!!!”

Responding playfully on his show, Kimmel said his wife informed him about Trump’s late-night post: “I’m the bum. I’m the bum,” he joked, noting that Trump shared the message just minutes after the episode aired on the East Coast.