President Donald Trump ridiculed the Oscars for the award ceremony’s historically low television ratings.
“Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY,” he wrote on Twitter. “Problem is, we don’t have Stars anymore – except your President (just kidding, of course)!”
Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel repeatedly accused Trump of being a racist during the show, as stars grappled with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements seeking to end sexual harassment and discrimination in Hollywood. Kimmel, together with the presenters and performers, also spent a large part of the evening driving home social justice issues.
But many Americans tuned out the event altogether.
Ratings for ABC’s televised event of 90th annual Academy Awards plunged 20 percent from last year to a record-low 26.5 million.