Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Trump and the ‘End’ of Late Night in Critics Choice Victory Lap
Jimmy Kimmel accepted his Critics Choice trophy with zingers at Trump, TikTok and the supposed death of late night, proving the format still has bite.
A punchy thank-you that felt more like a roast
Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar can get rowdy during awards season, but Jimmy Kimmel still managed to make the room gasp—then applaud—during Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards. Accepting the prize for Best Talk Show, the ABC host turned a 90-second speech into a clinic on why late-night hosts still matter, even as the format’s obituary is written daily on Twitter.
Trump, TikTok and the ticking clock
Kimmel opened with faux gratitude to “whoever’s left in the Television Critics Association,” then pivoted to the elephant—or donkey—in the room.
“Apparently the future of late night is either TikTok dances or a 77-year-old man rage-posting in all caps. I’m rooting for the dances.”The line drew a roar from a crowd that included rivals Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, both of whom were spotted clapping through laughter.
He saved his sharpest jab for the former president, who earlier that day had teased a “major announcement” on Truth Social.
“Can’t wait to see what it is—maybe another NFT trading card of him body-slamming the Constitution?”Kimmel quipped, a reference that instantly trended on X alongside #KimmelRoast.
Why the moment felt bigger than a trophy
The win marks Kimmel’s third Critics Choice honor and arrives as Disney slashes budgets across its linear networks. Staffers inside Jimmy Kimmel Live! say morale has been shaky; one longtime writer told Variety off the record that the speech “felt like a rallying cry.” Kimmel seemed to acknowledge that pressure:
“To the 200 people who still have jobs making this show every night—let’s keep doing it until they turn the lights off.”
What critics are saying
- IndieWire: “Kimmel reminded us that irreverence is survival gear in 2024.”
- The Hollywood Reporter: “A vintage Kimmel moment—equal parts self-deprecation and cultural shiv.”
- Adweek: “If advertisers needed proof that late night still drives social chatter, Kimmel just delivered it.”
Backstage, the host downplayed any deeper meaning. “Look, I just wanted to make the writers laugh,” he told reporters. “If the internet clips pay our salaries for another year, even better.”