Jimmy Kimmel Unimpressed by ‘Woke’ Joke, Loses to Stephen Colbert at 2025 Emmys

Jimmy Kimmel’s poker face slipped at Sunday’s Emmy Awards after Bryan Cranston cheekily referenced Donald Trump’s bizarre attack on Tom Hanks.

The Breaking Bad star, 69, was on stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles to present the award for Outstanding Talk Series when he decided to slip in a pointed barb about one of the president’s recent tirades.

Last week, Trump, 79, blasted Hanks, 69, on his Truth Social platform, labeling the two-time Oscar winner a ‘destructive’ and ‘woke’ after West Point abruptly canceled a ceremony honoring the actor with the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer Award.

Cranston, clearly unwilling to let the moment pass, folded the insult into his introduction of the nominees.

‘From the learned and inspirational guests like Neil deGrasse Tyson to the destructive woke degenerates like Tom Hanks,’ he began of who the nominees have interviewed.

While the majority of the audience roared with laughter, the cameras caught Kimmel, 57, looking stone-faced at the joke.  

The late-night host, who was one of the contenders in the category, gave little reaction other than a tight smile before shifting in his seat next to his wife Molly McNearney.

Ultimately, Kimmel walked away empty-handed, losing the Emmy to Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show. 

His unimpressed reaction sparked chatter online, with some viewers quipping that the joke may have gone over some heads. 

‘The number of people on this app who didn’t understand that Bryan Cranston sarcastically referring to Tom Hanks as a “woke degenerate” was an anti-Trump joke is a little disturbing….’ one social media user wrote on X.

Another asked: ‘Seriously, did Bryan Cranston really say that about Tom Hanks?’ 

A third exclaimed: ‘OMGGGG Did Bryan Cranston just refer to Tom Hanks as a “destructive woke degenerate?”‘

‘That joke will go right over MAGA heads,’ a fourth mused.

Hanks, like Kimmel, has a long history of criticizing Trump and is a supporter of Democratic candidates and causes. 

In June, the West Point Association of Graduates announced plans to honor Hanks with the Sylvanius Thayer, which is given to individuals for honoring the West Point motto of ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’ 

However, the prestigious military college abruptly cancelled the event this weekend without plans for a rescheduled date.

West Post faculty received an email Earlier this month from retired Army Col. Mark Bieger that the academy will not host the event in order to focus on preparing future officers for their military service, according to the Washington Post.

The email did not confirm if Hanks’ award had been revoked by the academy.

In announcing his award, the West Point alumni group praised Hanks for starring in movie roles that honored military officers, including Saving Private Ryan and Apollo 13.

The group also highlighted Hanks’ role as a producer in Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Greyhound, and Masters of the Air.

During the Biden administration, Hanks previously served as a national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

The recent award cancellation highlights the Trump administration’s desire to distance the military from any organization, group, or individuals the president deems as ‘woke.’

Under Pete Hegseth’s watch, the Pentagon has cut diversity initiatives throughout the military and rolled back name changes to military bases honoring Confederate leaders.

Trump recently signed an executive order changing the Defense Department to the Department of War, claiming the DOD name was too ‘wokey.’