Jimmy Kimmel Jabs Donald Trump With 'Melania Trump Kennedy Center’ Joke

OK! Staff Sun, September 20, 2026 at 1:26 PM UTC

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Jimmy Kimmel joked about renaming the Kennedy Center after Melania Trump.MEGA; Jimmy Kimmel Live/YOUTUBE

Jimmy Kimmel proposed a pointed new name for the Kennedy Center during his September 16 monologue as President Donald Trump continued seeking recognition at the Washington arts institution.

The center’s Trump-appointed board had voted to close its main building for two years of renovations shortly after a federal judge ruled that Trump’s name could not be added without congressional approval.

Kimmel called the dispute “the president’s war” on the Kennedy Center before turning it into a joke about the first lady.

The ‘Melania Trump Kennedy Center’

The late-night host mocked Donald Trump’s efforts to have his name recognized at the institution.MEGA

“So now the big baby says that if the Supreme Court doesn’t overturn that ruling and put his name on the wall next to Kennedy’s, there will be no renovations at all,” Kimmel said.

“He’s holding the building hostage,” he continued. “They really should call it the Melania Trump Kennedy Center.”

Jimmy then showed photographs of Donald’s name and image displayed outside the departments of Labor and the Interior.

“He’s putting his name, for whatever reason, on everything in town. And his face, too,” Jimmy said. “At this point, the only thing he doesn’t want his name on is Don Jr.”

Trump Defends Seeking Recognition

Jimmy Kimmel referenced Donald Trump’s displays at other government buildings.Jimmy Kimmel Live/YOUTUBE

Asked why recognition at the Kennedy Center mattered to him, Donald cited its finances and physical condition.

“The Kennedy Center for many years has lost tens of millions of dollars, even hundreds of millions of dollars,” Donald told reporters in North Carolina on September 16. “It’s a big loser, financially.”

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He argued that his administration deserved recognition for raising money and supporting the institution, saying it could otherwise close or be demolished.

Kimmel Revisits the $5,000 Proposal

The host also revisited Donald Trump’s conditional $5,000 payment proposal for Americans.MEGA

Jimmy also criticized Donald’s promise to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of Congress.

“Only if they win,” Jimmy said. “Which is crazy — also crazy that he would give us our own money as some kind of a gift.”

He followed the joke with clips of Donald and conservative commentators condemning Democratic government spending as political handouts.

“Also, remind me, aren’t Republicans the people who are always screaming about handouts?” Jimmy asked.

‘Has Anyone Ever Done a Worse Job?’

Jimmy Kimmel closed the segment with another pointed joke about Donald Trump’s presidency.MEGA

“Those of us who did not vote for Donald Trump assumed he would be even worse the second time around, but even I had no idea he’d be this bad,” the host said. “Has anyone ever done a worse job with anything?”

He answered with the monologue’s darkest joke: “Kitty and Jose Menendez did a better job of parenting their boys than Donald Trump has running this country.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”