Oscars 2017: Donald Trump Takes Credit For Best Picture Gaffe, As He Accuses Academy Awards Of Playing 'Race Card'

It was only a matter of time before Donald Trump had something to say about the events of Sunday (26 February) night’s Oscars, with the US president now coming forward to take credit for the Best Picture gaffe. 

Trump has claimed he believes the Academy Awards were so set on tearing into him on the night that it led to the huge blunder, which saw ‘La La Land’ mistakenly given the top award.

Viewers of the Hollywood ceremony saw the ‘La La Land’ team accept the Oscar, only for it to be revealed half way through their acceptance speech that ‘Moonlight’ had actually won. 

Speaking about the cock-up to an alt-right publication, Trump said: “I think they were focused so hard on politics that they didn’t get the act together at the end.

“It was a little sad. It took away from the glamour of the Oscars.”

He continued: “It didn’t feel like a very glamorous evening. I’ve been to the Oscars. There was something very special missing, and then to end that way was sad.”

While Trump may be revelling in the idea he may have caused the gaffe, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers came forward to claim responsibility shortly after the awards. 

Issuing a statement on the debacle, they revealed they handed presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope to present the award with, leading to the confusion. 

Trump has also accused the Academy Awards of “pulling out the race card”, seemingly in reference to Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue. 

The chat show host had joked: “Maybe this is not a popular thing to say, but I want to say thank you to Donald Trump, I mean, remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars were racist? It’s gone. Thanks to him!”

Speaking in an interview with ‘Fox And Friends’ set to air on Tuesday night, Trump said: “Look, it just seems like the other side, whenever they’re losing badly, they always pull out the race card.

“I’ve watched it for years. I watched it against Ronald Reagan, I’ve watched it against so many other people. And they always like pulling out the race card. In fact, I did much better than many other … Republicans in the last election. I did much better with Hispanics, I did much better with African Americans.”