Oscars host Conan O’Brien cracked a joke about an “alternate” awards show being hosted by Kid Rock while hosting the 2026 Oscars on Sunday night — a direct reference to Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA in a trite Hollywood dig at outsiders challenging the status quo.
“I should warn you tonight could get political,” O’Brien said on the Oscars stage. “And if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock. It’s at the Dave & Buster’s down the street.”
While the comedian attempted to dismiss Turning Point USA as irrelevant, he ironically proved the conservative organization has pierced the cultural bubble enough to warrant attention by joking about an alternative awards show.
Moreover, O’Brien refrained from name-dropping the slain conservative icon’s organization — opting for mentioning Kid Rock instead — while everyone watching knows his joke was directed at Turning Point USA.
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Notably, Turning Point USA hosted an “All-American Halftime Show” — watched by millions — during woke rapper Bad Bunny’s Spanish-only, politically charged Super Bowl performance last month.
“What a tremendous testament to the success of the @TPUSA halftime show. You stung them, so they had to sting back. Congrats!” author Steve Deace reacted.
“The fact that TPUSA halftime show got lampooned at all is [because] they made an impact,” another X user echoed.
“What a LOSER… Conan O’Brien took an extremely cheap shot at TPUSA’s All-American Half Time show while hosting The Oscars,” conservative commentator Graham Allen wrote, adding, “NO WONDER NOBODY WATCHES THE OSCARS ANYMORE!!!”
“Hi @ConanOBrien! Remember when you refused to let anyone call 911 on Nick Reiner last year at your Christmas party when he got mad at his parents? Keep talking, Big Red,” Charlie Kirk’s close friend and author Jack Posobiec declared.
“Conan is just upset that the @TPUSA alternate halftime show got more viewers in one night than he got all year combined in his final season on TBS,” Turning Point USA COO Tyler Bowyer said.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
