Oscars 2026: Jimmy Kimmel’s shocking remarks on free speech and jibe at Trump while presenting awards takes the audience by surprise; watch here

Jimmy Kimmel at Oscars 2026: American late-night television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel was among the presenters at the 98th Oscars held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. He did not host the Academy Awards this year but still used the opportunity to deliver some sharp remarks.

Kimmel stepped onto the stage to present the Oscar for documentary short and documentary feature. He joked that O’Brien had gone out and accidentally “exposed his face to the sun and was incinerated." So I will be finishing out the rest of the program.”

During his stint on the stage, Kimmel took a veiled jibe at US President Donald Trump and the CBS network, saying that with documentaries, “We hear a lot about courage at shows like this, but telling a story that could get you killed for telling it is real courage. As you know, there are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which. Let’s just leave it to North Korea and CBS.”


It is pertinent to mention that he did not take Trump’s name while making these comments. The remark sparked laughter and applause among some audience members while leaving others surprised, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about moments of the ceremony.




The remarks made by the late-night show host were apparently in reference to the recent decision by CBS to cancel “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" and remove from air one of Trump’s most prominent and persistent late-night critics. While introducing one of the awards, Kimmel also made a joke referencing Trump’s wife, saying the former president would likely be upset that she was not nominated for the documentary category.


ALSO READ: Who is Motaz Malhees? Palestinian actor who stars in Oscar-nominated film 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' misses Academy Awards night; Here’s why


Before Colbert, Kimmel also faced the same situation when ABC had suspended his late-night show in September 2025 after comments that he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing. However, a few days later in the same month, he was back on air after the suspension was removed.

The veteran late-night comic made several remarks about the reaction to the conservative activist’s assassination on his late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

Kimmel took a dig at Amazon MGM’s "Melania," saying, “Fortunately for all of us, there’s an international community of filmmakers dedicated to telling the truth, oftentimes at great risk, to make films that teach us, that call out injustice, and that inspire us to take action, and there are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes.”

“All the Empty Rooms” (directed by Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones) won for documentary short, and "Mr. Nobody Against Putin” won for David Borenstein, Helle Faber, Alžběta Karásková, Radovan Síbrt, and Lucie Kon.