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The UCLA women’s national basketball team has been handed an eyebrow-raising political quest from late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
During a group interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Tuesday, a discussion with Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalić and coach Cori Close turned political.
After Kimmel pointed out that former President Barack Obama posted a message on social media congratulating the team on their championship victory, the host asked if President Donald Trump had ever contacted the team.
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The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team is honored at center court during a game between the Lakers and the Oklahoma Thunder at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 7, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Players answered “no” to Kimmel’s Trump question.
But Kimmel then steered the conversation into an anti-Trump routine.
“I’m sure you know he’s busy. Um, he’s here in two weeks, you’ll hear from him,” Kimmel said. “In case you get invited to the White House and decide to go, I have something for you.”
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Kimmel then pulled out a silver trophy that bore little resemblance to the NCAA championship trophy that sat on his desk.
“What I want you to do is bring this fake trophy that we made to the White House. He won’t know. But when you bring a trophy, sometimes he takes it and keeps it for himself. So it’s up to you to bring it to the White House. And then you can say, ‘President Trump, we want you to have it.’ And he’ll be so happy. You’ll probably get an endowment and you can keep the real one,” Kimmel said.
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Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins looks on during the first quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Close laughed at Kimmel’s joke, while the players clapped their hands lightly, exchanging light laughs.
Meanwhile, social media users criticized Kimmel for turning the sports interview into a Trump-centric rant.
“Even while celebrating their championship he has to talk about himself and his hatred for Trump. What a hole,” one X user wrote.
One X user mocked Kimmel, writing, “What will he do when Trump is out of office? Is the show over?”
Another X user wrote: “It’s funny, but I don’t like that he uses them to hit people.”
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UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) reacts while holding the UCLA fan sticker after UCLA defeated Oklahoma State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Jessie Alcheh/AP)
UCLA won its first women’s basketball national championship in history last weekend, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocksthe Dawn Staley-led team that had reached the national title game three straight seasons and won it in 2024, in dominating fashion, 79-51.
