- Jimmy Kimmel has a long history of targeting President Donald Trump in his comedy, but recent backlash intensified after his “expectant widow” joke about Melania Trump, prompting the first lady to declare that people like Kimmel “shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
- Her husband echoed the criticism. The remarks came after Kimmel’s pre-White House Correspondents’ Dinner joke went viral in the wake of the foiled assassination attempt at the event.
- This is not the first time Kimmel has faced consequences for controversial comments. Last fall, he was suspended by ABC after a remark about the assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
- In Monday night’s monologue, Kimmel defended the latest joke as “a light roast” about the first couple’s age difference and “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination.” He expressed sympathy, saying he was sorry that the president and everyone at the event went through the “traumatic and scary experience.”
- ABC had no comment Monday.
President Trump on Monday called for Disney and ABC to immediately fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke about first lady Melania Trump, describing the remark as a “despicable call to violence.”
The comment came during Kimmel’s mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech on April 23, where he said of the first lady: “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
Trump posted on Truth Social: “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.” He added that the joke was “far beyond the pale.”
First lady Melania Trump also condemned the host on X, calling his rhetoric “hateful and violent” and urging ABC to “take a stand” against him. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy, his words are corrosive,” she wrote.
Context of the Joke
Kimmel’s remark was made days before a shooting outside the correspondents’ dinner on Saturday. Suspected gunman Cole Allen faces charges including attempting to assassinate Trump, the third such attempt according to the White House. The first lady was seated next to the president during the incident and had to be ushered to safety.This is not the first clash. In September, Disney temporarily pulled Kimmel’s show after he mocked Trump’s response to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and appeared to link the killer to the MAGA movement without evidence. Kimmel returned after four days following widespread backlash.
The latest dispute highlights ongoing friction between the Trump administration and the media. Last week, FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic for defamation. Trump has also pursued defamation lawsuits against outlets including The Wall Street Journal, with plans to refile a dismissed case.
Earlier this year, the FCC issued guidance on equal-time rules for broadcast television, widely seen as targeting late-night shows that frequently feature Democratic guests.