Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump as he receives a President's Award: 'I thought he hated me!'

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: When Jimmy Kimmel heard he was receiving a President’s Award, his mind apparently went straight to the Oval Office.

The late-night host, known for taking shots at President Donald Trump on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, joked that he briefly assumed the honor might be coming from the commander-in-chief, who isn’t exactly his fan.

Instead, the award came from the International Cinematographers Guild during its Publicists Awards ceremony. The guild apparently handed Kimmel the President’s Award for “his strength of character, his resilience and his unwavering adherence to principle in the face of adversity,” according to the organization.

ICG national president John Lindley presented the honor at the glitzy ceremony held March 13 at the Beverly Wilshire.

Kimmel, 58, turned the accolade into a punchline. “When they told me I'd be getting the President's Award, I said, ‘Wow, that's great! I thought he hated me!’ He called me a ‘no talent’ and tried to force me off the air,” he told the audience. “Then I found out the president was John, so thank you, John. I like you more than him.”

Notably, Kimmel’s show was briefly benched last year. 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' was suspended for six days after distasteful remarks he made about late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel on publicists, Matt Damon, and gratitude

Kimmel used the stage to tip his cap to the publicists, while still squeezing in a few well-timed digs.

He referenced the recent headlines about Timothée Chalamet, who caught flak after saying “no one cares” about ballet and opera.

“Publicists have a very difficult job, especially when their clients have strong opinions about opera and ballet,” Kimmel quipped. “I love them. Remember when they used to say there's no such thing as bad publicity? That was a lot of Kanyes and Diddys ago.”

The evening also included a pre-recorded intro from Ben Affleck and Kimmel’s long-running comedic “nemesis,” Matt Damon.

“ICG? More like ‘I see you, Jimmy.’ The only thing you ever do publicly is suck,” Damon said in the clip.

Kimmel fired back with a few of his own jabs before thanking the crowd for standing by him during the controversy surrounding Kirk and criticism from the Trump administration.

“I especially want to thank you for your support over the last year,” Kimmel said. “I heard from many of you personally. I heard from many of your clients over my brief vacation in September, and I will never forget it. I do want to thank you.”

Jimmy Kimmel's mockery of 'Melania'

This comes just days after Kimmel took aim at First Lady Melania Trump and her eponymous documentary 'Melania.'

The late-night host said he finally watched the film and found a moment that nearly made him feel sympathetic toward the President.

In one scene, Trump calls Melania to tell her he has won a second term. In response, the First Lady casually says she hasn’t seen the official results yet.

Kimmel said the moment left him howling. He described it as one of the funniest exchanges he had seen and admitted the icy delivery was so deadpan that it made him “feel a little bad” for Trump.

The comedian then compared the moment to the award-winning horror drama 'Sinners' starring Michael B. Jordan, joking that it had been a banner year for “vampire movies.”

He also labeled the documentary a “vanity project” and took a swipe at its OTT release timing during the ongoing US-Iran crisis.

“While some might say that it is not a great look to be plugging your vanity project while your husband’s bombing another country, Melania has never cared much about optics," he declared.