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By Jenni Fink
Senior Editor
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Comedian Conan O'Brien took a jab at President Donald Trump during the Academy Awards on Sunday without even mentioning his name.
O'Brien welcomed people back to the Oscars by announcing that they were taking place in the "small penis theater." He then challenged "him" to put his name on a theater that's called the "small penis theater."
The joke landed just months after Trump‑appointed trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to rename the institution the “Trump‑Kennedy Center,” a move announced by the White House in December 2025 and confirmed by the center’s leadership.
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The decision immediately sparked backlash from Democratic lawmakers, members of the Kennedy family and arts advocates, many of whom argued the board lacked legal authority to change the name of a building designated by Congress as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy.
O’Brien’s Oscars moment fit squarely within a long‑running, complicated relationship with Trump as a political figure. While the former late‑night host has frequently mocked Trump over the years — including subtle jabs during previous Oscars ceremonies — he has also warned comedians against letting anger overwhelm humor.
In multiple interviews and public appearances, O’Brien has said that constant, explicit attacks on Trump can dull comedy’s effectiveness, urging comics instead to remain sharp, inventive and funny rather than purely confrontational.
"You've been lulled into just saying 'F Trump. F Trump. F Trump. Screw this guy,' and I think you've now put down your best weapon, which is being funny, and you've exchanged it for anger," O'Brien previously said.
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That philosophy has shaped O’Brien’s approach on high‑profile stages like the Oscars. Rather than naming Trump outright, he has often relied on implication, timing and cultural context — allowing audiences to connect the dots themselves. During the 2025 Oscars, O’Brien made a widely discussed remark tied to geopolitics and power that many viewers interpreted as a swipe at Trump’s foreign policy posture, again without directly naming the president.
The Kennedy Center controversy has given that kind of indirect humor new resonance. Since returning to office, Trump has reshaped the center’s board, installed allies and named himself chair. The board’s vote to add Trump’s name to the iconic building has since become the subject of lawsuits and judicial scrutiny, with courts ordering the administration to provide more transparency to dissenting trustees ahead of key votes. ]
Against that backdrop, O’Brien’s Oscars quip was widely interpreted as a cultural response to Trump’s effort to stamp his name on a national arts landmark. While brief, the joke underscored how the Kennedy Center debate has seeped into Hollywood’s biggest night — and how O’Brien continues to navigate political commentary with a mix of restraint and bite.
By leaving Trump unnamed, O’Brien maintained his long‑stated belief that comedy works best when it invites audiences in, rather than spelling everything out — even when the target is unmistakable.
It wasn't the only political joke O'Brien made during the event. He opened the show by noting that last year, when he hosted, Los Angeles was on fire, but joked that this year everything's fine. He also noted the lack of British actors being nominated this year, but joked that at least England arrests their pedophiles in a clear criticism of the lack of arrests in the United States related to the Epstein files.
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