Trump weighs in on Jimmy Kimmel Oscars row

While the96th Academy Awards ended a week ago, an ongoing back and forth between this year’s host and a certain former president is yet to die down.

This weekend, Donald Trump spoke out about his spat with Jimmy Kimmel in an interview with Fox News’ MediaBuzz, saying that the late-night show host is “even dumber than I thought”.

Mr Kimmeloften fills segments of his late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live with criticism and mockery of Mr Trump.

But the war of words ramped up during last week’s Oscars ceremony when Mr Trump took to Truth Social to lambast Mr Kimmel’s hosting skills.

“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be. Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC “talent,” George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous,” Mr Trump wrote.

Mr Kimmel responded by reading out the post on stage, before sparking laughter from the star-studded audience by asking: “Isn’t it past your jail time?”

Mr Kimmel later said that he wasn’t planning to mention Mr Trump at all throughout the ceremony, but a writer showed him the post in between his time on stage.

Speaking to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos immediately after the ceremony on theirLive TV special, Mr Kimmel said members of the production team had tried to discourage him from reading out Mr Trump’s post.

“They’re like, ‘You’ve got a little bit of time’ and I was like, ‘I’m reading the Trump tweet,’ and they’re like, ‘No, no, don’t read that,’” Mr Kimmel said with a laugh. “[I was like] ‘Yes I am.’”

On Sunday’s Fox News interview, Mr Trump ridiculed Mr Kimmel