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White House Blasts Kimmel After ‘Pathetic’ Melania Swipe

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Jimmy Kimmel
By Walt Disney Television via Flickr

A top White House aide unloaded on Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night host mocked First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary during the Academy Awards.

Stephen Cheung, a senior communications adviser to President Donald Trump, fired back at Kimmel on social media Sunday night after the comedian made a sarcastic remark about the film while presenting an award.

Kimmel referenced Melania’s recently released documentary while discussing the importance of nonfiction films that expose injustice or highlight major global issues.

“There are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes,” Kimmel joked to the audience.

The line drew laughs inside the theater but quickly sparked backlash from Trump allies. Cheung responded with a blistering post on X, accusing the comedian of attacking the First Lady for cheap political laughs.

“Jimmy Kimmel (Mr. Blackface) is a classless hack who is self-projecting his depression and sadness onto others,” Cheung wrote.

“He lives a pathetic existence where nobody — not even his family — enjoys his miserable company,” the aide continued.

Cheung concluded the message with a blunt sendoff. “The only people giving him any attention are Hollywood elites,” he wrote. “BUH-BYE.”

The White House aide’s reference to “Mr. Blackface” pointed to a controversy from Kimmel’s early television career.

During the early 2000s on Comedy Central, Kimmel appeared in sketches impersonating former NBA star Karl Malone while wearing blackface.

Kimmel later addressed the controversy in 2020 and said some of the sketches were embarrassing in hindsight. “Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing,” Kimmel said at the time.

The Oscars exchange marked the latest clash in a long-running feud between Trump and the late-night host.

Kimmel continued his digs at the president during the ceremony while presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature.

As he introduced the nominees, Kimmel suggested someone might be upset about the category results.

“Oh man, is he gonna be mad his wife wasn’t nominated for this,” Kimmel joked.

The remark again referenced the Melania documentary released earlier this year. The film follows the First Lady as she prepared to return to the White House and offers a behind-the-scenes look at her life during the transition period.

Despite Kimmel’s mockery, the project performed far better than many Hollywood analysts predicted.

The documentary generated roughly $7 million in ticket sales across the United States and Canada during its opening weekend.

Industry observers described the performance as one of the strongest theatrical debuts for a documentary in more than a decade.

Outside of concert films, few nonfiction projects have matched those box office numbers since 2012. The film also would not have been eligible for the Oscars this year regardless of its reception.

Academy rules require that documentary nominees be released between January 1 and December 31 of the previous calendar year.

Nominations for the 2026 ceremony were announced in late January — roughly a week before the Melania film premiered.

Kimmel has frequently used his late-night show and public appearances to criticize Trump and his administration. The two have traded insults for years across television and social media.

One flashpoint occurred last fall when Kimmel’s show was briefly suspended after comments about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sparked controversy.

Trump responded online after news of the suspension broke. “Great News for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” the president wrote at the time.

The late-night host returned to television five days later.

Political humor was a recurring theme throughout this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Host Conan O’Brien opened the show by warning the audience that the evening might include political commentary.

“I should warn you, tonight could get political,” O’Brien told the crowd during his monologue.

He then joked that viewers uncomfortable with politics could attend an alternate awards ceremony.

“There’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock,” O’Brien said. “It’s at the Dave & Buster’s down the street.”

The quip referenced a conservative alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show that had been organized by Turning Point USA and headlined by Kid Rock.

Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet responded to the jab on social media.

“Literally had no idea the Oscars was even happening until someone sent me this just now,” Kolvet wrote. “Living rent free in these people’s minds.”

Political messaging also appeared on the Oscars red carpet. Some attendees wore pins reading “BE GOOD” or “ICE OUT,” referencing immigration policy debates that have divided Hollywood and Washington.

Other celebrities used the event to speak about international conflicts. Actor Javier Bardem addressed the audience while presenting the award for best international feature film.

“No to war and free Palestine,” Bardem said from the stage while wearing a patch reading “No a la Guerra.”

Comedian Kumail Nanjiani also stirred controversy while presenting the award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Nanjiani joked that some feature-length movies could be shortened to save time during the ceremony.

The comedian rattled off several altered movie titles, including “It’s a Wonderful Month” and “The King’s Tweet.”

One line referencing the Holocaust drama “Schindler’s List” triggered backlash online.

Nanjiani quipped that the film could become “Schindler’s Post-it,” a remark that critics quickly condemned on social media.

“Can’t say that Schindler’s List joke was uh in any good taste!” the commenter wrote.

Outside the awards ceremony, political figures also made surprise appearances at Hollywood events tied to the Oscars weekend.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party alongside her husband, venture capitalist Paul Pelosi. Photos of the couple on the red carpet quickly circulated online.

Some social media users expressed surprise at seeing the longtime San Francisco Democrat at an event dominated by actors and filmmakers.

“Honestly, the audacity is almost impressive,” one commenter wrote. “They’re really out here acting like they’re the protagonist in a high-stakes heist movie,” the user added.

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