The Awardist Oscars Jimmy Kimmel says he was told not to read real Donald Trump message at Oscars: 'Yes, I am' The Oscars host revealed that he improvised the moment because he had "a little bit of time" at the Academy Awards. By Joey Nolfi Joey Nolfi Entertainment Weekly's Oscars expert, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' beat reporter, host of 'Quick Drag' Twitter Spaces, and cohost of 'EW's BINGE' podcast. Almost all of the drag content on this site is my fault (you're welcome). EW's editorial guidelines Published on March 11, 2024 10:35AM EDT Jimmy Kimmel says he received an executive order (of sorts) before reading one of Donald Trump's social media posts live on stage at the 2024 Oscars. Near the end of Sunday night's 96th Academy Awards, the returning ceremony emcee read a message Trump shared to Truth Social, which disparaged Kimmel's hosting abilities. In an interview with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that aired Monday morning, Kimmel revealed that he improvised the bit after he was told he had extra time to play with during the show, but that he was ultimately asked not to read the note on the air. “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,'" Kimmel said with a laugh, though he didn't clarify who told him not to bring up Trump's note. "[I was like] ‘Yes, I am.’" EW has reached out to the Academy and representatives for Kimmel for more information. Jimmy Kimmel, Donald Trump. Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images Trump's post ripped Kimmel's comedic chops and hosting abilities, asking if there could be a "worse host" while urging the Oscars to "get rid of Kimmel" and replace him with "another washed up, but cheap, ABC 'talent,' George Slopanopoulos [sic]." Kimmel responded to Trump's criticism on stage at the Dolby Theatre, looking into the camera as he thanked the former president for watching. "I'm surprised you're still [up] — isn’t it past your jail time?" he quipped, which prompted an uproar of applause from the audience. Other highlights from the telecast included Emma Stone winning Best Actress amid a wardrobe malfunction, Ryan Gosling's cameo-filled performance of Barbie tune "I'm Just Ken," and Messi the Anatomy of a Fall dog peeing on Matt Damon's Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV. Related content: With 12 nominations, Bradley Cooper among Oscars' most-nominated people without a win Oscars ends with Messi the dog peeing on Matt Damon's Hollywood Walk of Fame star Barbie singer-songwriters Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell are now the youngest people in history to win 2 Oscars