Conan O'Brien Uses 2025 Oscars To Roast Trump & JD Vance's Latest Embarrassing Sideshow
Each Oscars show tends to have a charmed movie that takes home numerous prizes. At the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, that film was "Anora," which nabbed the honors for Mikey Madison for best actress, best director for Sean Baker, and the grandaddy of them all, best picture. The critically acclaimed movie centers around tough Brooklynite Anora (Ani for short), an ambitious sex worker who meets and impulsively marries Russian client Ivan in Las Vegas following a whirlwind romance.
Before they can have their happily ever after, though, his oligarch parents catch wind of it and are not pleased with their son's decision to marry someone so below him. Neither parent want Ani in the picture but the outspoken New Yorker is a fighter with very specific ideas of what she and others of her particular social class are entitled to, and Ani does not cave in to the Russians trying to oust her from her fairy tale.
With so many repeat appearances by the cast and crew accepting their awards, Conan O'Brien, former host of his own show on TBS and current host of the evening, was bound to offer up a punchline. "You know, 'Anora' is having a good night," the legendary comedian began (via X, formerly known as Twitter). "That's great news. [...] I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian."
Conan O'Brien calls out Donald Trump at the #Oscars: "Anora's having a good night... I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian." https://t.co/Yif6eGLbcT pic.twitter.com/aA62t7ECCF
— TVLine.com (@TVLine) March 3, 2025
Vance and Trump yelled at the Ukrainian president about Russia
After Oscars host Conan O'Brien landed his sharp joke about standing up to the Russians, the audience let out a collective "Ooooooooh," followed by a round of pretty boisterous clapping. The legendary late-night host was, of course, alluding to Donald Trump and his heavily criticized relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and his reported affinity for showing favoritism to the country. O'Brien's quip was especially timely given the disastrous meeting on February 28, 2025, between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump, and his Vice President JD Vance.
The main purpose was seemingly for both parties to agree to sign a minerals deal, but their increasingly uncomfortable chat quickly devolved into Trump and Vance ganging up on Zelensky about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. They even accused him, and Ukraine itself, of not being appreciate enough for America's support, and declared that he needed to make a deal with Russia ASAP.
The entire encounter set off a multitude of horrified reactions on social media, with most people on the side of Zelensky, rather than Trump, Vance, and Russia. World leaders offered their support, alongside a slew of celebrities who posted about it, including actors Liev Schreiber, Molly Ringwald — who described the meeting as "a truly revolting and disheartening spectacle" on Instagram — and Elizabeth Banks. Hence why O'Brien's Oscars joke resulted in a round of applause.