Jimmy Kimmel ‘Unseals’ Trump’s Fictional 1965 SAT Score in Retaliation for Harvard Jabs, Sparking Viral Outrage

By Sarah Ellison The New York Times November 25, 2025

LOS ANGELES — In a late-night monologue that blended sharp satire with a dash of historical mischief, Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday “unsealed” what he claimed was President Trump’s long-suppressed 1965 SAT scorecard — a purported 970 out of 1600 — moments after replaying Mr. Trump’s recent mockery of Harvard graduates as “overrated elites.” The stunt, which drew roars from the studio audience and has since amassed over 80 million views across platforms, has plunged the two men into a fresh cultural skirmish, with Mr. Trump denouncing it as a “fake news hoax” and Democrats hailing it as a timely reminder of the president’s aversion to scrutiny.

The segment, aired during a special post-Thanksgiving episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” opened with Mr. Kimmel at a mock Oval Office desk, holding a yellowed envelope stamped “Classified: Trump Academic Secrets.” “Donald Trump has been on a tear lately, calling Harvard grads ‘low-IQ losers’ and ‘overrated snowflakes,’” Mr. Kimmel said, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “He says he got into Wharton without their help — the best school, tremendous grades. So tonight, in the interest of transparency, I’m unsealing his SAT score from 1965. Because if you’re going to mock the Ivy League, let’s see your report card.”

The Los Angeles studio — packed with a holiday crowd of fans and celebrities, including a surprise cameo from Harvard professor Cornel West — fell into anticipatory silence as Mr. Kimmel dramatically slit the envelope. He pulled out a prop card, aged with coffee stains and faux College Board seals, and held it aloft. “Donald J. Trump: Math 480, Verbal 490. Total: 970 out of 1600.” The room exploded. Laughter cascaded into whoops and cheers, with Mr. West leading a chant of “Re-port card! Re-port card!” as confetti cannons fired and the house band struck up a jaunty “Jeopardy!” theme. Mr. Kimmel paused for effect, then deadpanned: “That’s below the national average of 980 for 1965. Donald, you didn’t just fail the test — you failed the curve. No wonder you paid someone to take it for you.”

The bit, a masterful fusion of fact and fabrication, riffed on longstanding rumors about Mr. Trump’s academic record. While no verified SAT score exists — institutions like New York Military Academy and the University of Pennsylvania have cited privacy laws in refusing releases — investigative reporting has documented Mr. Trump’s efforts through lawyer Michael Cohen to threaten schools and the College Board against disclosure. Mr. Kimmel’s prop, explicitly labeled as satirical in on-screen chyrons, amplified the lore: a middling score that undercut Mr. Trump’s boasts of a “genius IQ” and “tremendous” Wharton performance.

The audience’s reaction was electric. Spectators leaped to their feet, with one woman in the front row shouting, “Below average! Below average!” as the ovation swelled to 50 seconds — the longest of the season. Mr. Kimmel milked the moment, flashing graphics comparing the fictional score to Mr. Trump’s recent mockery of Harvard Law graduates during a November 18 Cabinet meeting, where he quipped, “Harvard? Bunch of low-IQ elitists — I did better without their fancy degrees.” “Donald,” Mr. Kimmel concluded, “if 970 got you into Wharton, imagine what a real Harvard grad could do with it. Maybe run a country without the drama.”

By 1:15 a.m., Mr. Trump had erupted on Truth Social: “Crooked Jimmy Kimmel, ratings disaster, spreads FAKE NEWS about my GENIUS SAT score — 1560+! He’s jealous because I’m smarter than him and his Hollywood losers. ABC, get the bum off air NOW! #Hoax #MAGA.” The post, viewed 15 million times by midday Tuesday, tagged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Disney’s Bob Iger, renewing threats against the network’s license. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt amplified it during Thursday’s briefing, calling the segment “a deep-state fabrication to undermine the president’s intellect.”

The viral shockwave has been seismic. #TrumpSATScore trended globally with 12.4 million posts, spawning TikTok duets where users lip-synced Mr. Kimmel’s reveal over Mr. Trump’s 2016 “stable genius” clip, amassing 65 million views. Late-night peers piled on: Stephen Colbert staged a mock “SAT Retake” with Mr. Trump as contestant, bombing verbal questions; Seth Meyers deadpanned: “970? That explains the tweets — autocorrect couldn’t fix that low.” Even some conservatives cracked: Fox News contributor Guy Benson tweeted: “Kimmel’s prop or not, Trump’s secrecy fuels the fire. Release the transcripts — end the speculation.”

Democrats seized the moment as a teachable one. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries quipped on MSNBC: “Kimmel just did what Congress couldn’t — exposed the emperor’s report card. Below average? That’s not genius; that’s grievance.” A Quinnipiac poll released Friday showed Mr. Trump’s favorability among college-educated voters at 32 percent — a second-term low — with independents citing “intellectual insecurity” as a top concern amid the shutdown and Epstein files.

For Mr. Trump, whose boasts of academic excellence — including unverified claims of topping his Wharton class — have long been a pillar of his “stable genius” persona, the roast strikes a raw nerve. Aides described a Mar-a-Lago brunch turned tense, with the president dictating rebuttals while allies like Don Jr. amplified memes of Kimmel as a “deep-state jester.” FCC Chairman Carr fielded a 20-minute call from Mr. Trump at 2 a.m., assuring “ongoing bias reviews,” but sources say the network faces no immediate jeopardy — Kimmel’s ratings are up 22 percent year-over-year.

Mr. Kimmel, in a post-credits clip, shrugged: “If a fake report card sparks real questions, mission accomplished. Donald, release the real one — or is 970 too close to home?” ABC executives, navigating affiliate pressure, issued no comment, but insiders say the stunt has solidified Kimmel’s role as Trump’s comedic nemesis.

In an era where personal myths fuel political brands, Kimmel’s reveal — satirical or not — has pierced the armor. As clips flood feeds and Washington simmers, the late-night showdown reminds: In Trump’s America, even a prop scorecard can draw blood.