The Academy Awards took place during the early stages of a U.S. war in the Middle East, marking a second time this century that the ceremony was overshadowed by the conflict surrounding the war in Iran. The host and presenter, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, both mocked Donald Trump from the stage, with O’Brien suggesting that he was standing on the stage of a "has-a-small-penis theater" and suggesting that the president should have his name on the Kennedy Center. Kimmel also made fun of the documentary shorts for "telling the truth" and "Melania," referring to films in which "you walk around the White House trying on shoes" is mentioned. The Oscars' audience has been shrinking for several years, with some suggesting that liberal politics is a reason for the decline in viewership.