President Donald Trump on Monday blamed the Academy Awards’ best picture mix-up on what he said was Hollywood’s misguided focus on politics.
“They were focused so hard on politics that they didn’t get the act together at the end,” Trump said in an interview with Breitbart News. “It was a little sad. It took away from the glamour of the Oscars.”
Had the actors focused more on Sunday night’s awards ceremony and less on him, Trump suggested, the best picture mistake might not have happened. He also added that there was something “very special” missing from the evening, and the mix-up was a “sad” way to end the annual event.
In a painful blunder on Sunday night, presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced that “La La Land” had won best picture. When “La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz revealed moments later that “Moonlight” had actually won, audience members and viewers were left in shock.
Photos later confirmed that Beatty and Dunaway were accidentally handed the envelop containing the winner for best actress in a leading role. Two accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers — the firm responsible for tabulating the results and keeping them confidential — prepare two briefcases with the envelopes used by presenters.
The criticism came after a night of jabs and jokes aimed at Trump. Hollywood’s distaste for the conservative President was on full display, as actors made multiple references to the politician’s actions on issues like immigration during the first month of his administration.
“I want to say thank you to President Trump,” host Jimmy Kimmel said in his opening monologue. “I mean, remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars were racist?”
Referencing Trump’s travel ban and stance on immigration, Kimmel joked that in Hollywood, “we don’t discriminate against people based on where they’re from. We discriminate against them based on their age and weight.”
Kimmel also tweeted at Trump live on air during the awards ceremony, but Trump did not rise to the bait, instead only responding briefly in Monday’s interview with Breitbart.