Melania Trump is demanding that Disney-owned ABC remove late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from the air following comments he made last week regarding the first lady and her husband, President Donald Trump.
Ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Kimmel did a segment on his show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” mocking the president, some of his top Cabinet members, and other GOP politicians.
In his mock event, Kimmel pointed out the first lady.
“Look at Melania. So beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” he said. “Melania’s birthday is on Sunday. That’s right, she’s planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does, looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’”
Given the events that transpired over the weekend at the real correspondents’ dinner, Kimmel’s comments arguably did not age well. Gunfire was heard just as the event was about to start, reportedly caused by California man Cole Tomas Allen, who is now in federal custody and being arraigned in court on Monday.
According to Fox News, Allen’s brother had contacted law enforcement after he said Allen sent family members an alleged manifesto saying he had the intent to target Trump administration officials.
Saturday’s incident appeared to add yet another entry to the list of threats against the president — and the first lady made clear she saw nothing funny about Kimmel joking over her husband’s potential death.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she said in a post on X. “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”
Trump also responded on Monday, “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking,” he said in a Truth Social post.
He continued, “A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
White House deputy chief of staff James Blair also posted on Monday, arguing that Kimmel’s “comments are meant to legitimize political violence. Jimmy Kimmel should not be on the air.”
Kimmel has yet to make a statement, but some people on social media are accusing Trump of hypocrisy.
Another added, “Shouldn’t the First Lady be focused on actually lowering the temperature and not picking a fight with a comedian?”
Reporter Billy Binion said he empathizes with the first lady, but argued that Kimmel’s free speech rights allow him the privilege to say what he did.
This isn’t the first time the late-night host has come under fire for comments he made. Last September, Kimmel’s show was indefinitely suspended over comments he made about the man charged in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
He also mocked Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s assassination.
ABC ended up bringing the show back on air and signed Kimmel to a one-year extension.