Melania Trump Presses ABC To Act Against Jimmy Kimmel After Widow Joke
Melania Trump is calling on ABC to take action against late night host Jimmy Kimmel after a joke about her being an “expectant widow” resurfaced following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The joke aired Thursday on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Kimmel imagined himself hosting the annual press dinner. During the bit, he pretended to address the first lady and said she had “a glow like an expectant widow.” He also joked about President Donald Trump’s age and health.
The remark drew sharper attention after Saturday night, when a gunman breached a security perimeter at the Washington Hilton while Trump and Melania were inside for the dinner. Authorities later identified the suspect as 31 year old Cole Tomas Allen, who appeared in court Monday and was charged with attempting to assassinate the president and weapons offenses. He did not enter a plea, according to reports.
Melania Trump Says Kimmel’s Words Were Not Comedy
In a post on X Monday, Melania Trump said Kimmel’s monologue “isn’t comedy” and accused him of contributing to political hostility in the country.
“His words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she wrote.
The first lady also said people like Kimmel should not have access to American homes each night “to spread hate,” and urged ABC to “take a stand.” She accused the network of protecting the comedian despite what she described as “atrocious behavior.”
Trump Joins Call For ABC And Disney To Fire Kimmel
President Trump followed with his own statement on Truth Social, saying he appreciated that many people were angered by Kimmel’s remarks.
Trump called the joke “really shocking” and “far beyond the pale,” then demanded that ABC and Disney immediately fire Kimmel. The president also described the joke as a “call to violence,” though Kimmel’s segment aired before the shooting at the dinner.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also criticized the comedian during Monday’s briefing, calling the rhetoric about the president, first lady and his supporters “completely deranged.”
Shooting At Correspondents’ Dinner Adds New Weight To The Joke
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is traditionally tied to press freedom, the First Amendment and political satire. This year’s event became the center of national attention after the shooting at the Washington Hilton.
Trump and Melania were evacuated unharmed. Trump later described the night as “a rather traumatic experience” for his wife. Reports said Melania dove under a table during the emergency and later appeared alongside administration officials during a late night White House briefing.
The shooting, followed by the backlash against Kimmel, has renewed the ongoing fight between the Trump administration and late night television over political comedy, media criticism and the boundaries of public speech.
Kimmel And Trump Have Clashed Before
Kimmel has repeatedly criticized Trump on air, and the president has often responded publicly. The latest dispute comes months after ABC temporarily pulled Kimmel’s show in September following backlash over comments he made about the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel later returned to the air and said he understood why some people found his remarks about Kirk’s death “ill timed or unclear.” The current controversy is now drawing comparisons to that earlier suspension, with conservative commentators again calling for ABC to remove him from its lineup.
ABC Had Not Responded Publicly
Representatives for ABC and Kimmel had not publicly responded to requests for comment as of Monday afternoon.
For now, the pressure campaign from the president and first lady places ABC back in the middle of a familiar fight: whether late night political satire crossed a line, or whether the White House is using outrage over a joke to pressure a major network.
