The 2026 Oscars host subtly mentioned the president during the show
Credit: Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty;Heather Diehl/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Conan O’Brien snuck in a joke about the president during the 2026 Oscars
- The 98th Academy Awards host alluded to Donald Trump’s penis size while slamming the renaming of the Trump-Kennedy Center
- The 2026 Oscars are airing live on ABC and Hulu
Conan O'Brien gave a not-so-subtle jab toward the president during his 2026 Oscars hosting duties.
After joking about stars like Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio during his opening monologue on Sunday, March 15, O'Brien, 62, took the stage following a commercial break and poked fun at the theater's name.
"Welcome back, we're coming to you live from the 'Has a Small Penis Theatre,'" O'Brien said about the venue, which is called the Dolby Theatre. "Let's see him put his name in front of that!"
The brief comment, which led to some cheers and whistles from the crowd, was likely in reference to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees who voted to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the "Trump-Kennedy Center," which has been celebrated by President Donald Trump and MAGA.
Credit: Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty
O'Brien's jab comes three months after the controversial vote led to additional signage on the exterior of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The center’s board of trustees voted unanimously in December to install Trump’s name. Not long after, crews could be seen adding the words "The Donald Trump and" above the previously-existing, "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Dec. 18 that the venue, dedicated in 1964 as a "living memorial" for JFK, would be known as the "Trump-Kennedy Center."
The venue is now expected to close in July for a two-year renovations as Trump, 79, unveiled renderings of the proposed redesign this week, calling it the "new, highly improved, TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER."
O'Brien has previously called the Trump presidency "very challenging" for comedians and encouraged others to "find a way" to be funny. During an appearance at Oxford University on Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend host detailed why he feels those who say "f Trump" and opt for "anger" instead of "humor" may not be the best for anti-Trump comics.
"Some comics go the route of, 'I'm gonna just say F Trump all the time,' or that's their comedy. Now, a little bit, you're being co-opted. Because you're so angry, you've been lulled into just saying 'F Trump, F Trump, F Trump, screw this guy.' I think now you've put down your best weapon, which is being funny. And you've exchanged it for anger," O'Brien said.
He added, "That person, or any person like that, will say, 'Well, things are too serious now! I don't need to be funny.' And I think, well, if you're a comedian, you always need to be funny. You just have to find a way. You just have to find a way to channel that anger… because good art will always be a great weapon. It will always be a perfect weapon against power."
As O'Brien put it, "If you're just screaming and you're just angry, you've lost your best tool in the toolbox."
See PEOPLE's coverage of the 98th Academy Awards, airing live on ABC and Hulu on March 15.
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