Donald Trump and Melania Trump renew calls for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel over morbid joke about first lady

Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Monday called on ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke in which he described Melania as having “the glow of an expectant widow.”

The remark came during a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Kimmel staged a mock monologue set at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The actual event days later was disrupted after an armed man attempted to enter the venue where the Trumps and senior officials were उपस्थित.

Melania Trump, in a social media post echoed by the president, said figures like Kimmel should not be allowed “to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.” ABC did not immediately respond.

Kimmel, a frequent critic of Trump, has often targeted the president in his routines. He previously faced suspension by ABC and some affiliate stations following remarks related to the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, amid pressure from FCC chairman Brendan Carr. He was later reinstated.

Upon returning, Kimmel clarified he did not intend to make light of Kirk’s death, though he did not apologize, and criticized station owners who had pulled his show. ABC subsequently extended his contract through May 2027.

The controversy comes as rival host Stephen Colbert prepares to end his CBS show next month.

In his routine, Kimmel also joked about Melania’s birthday and made a reference involving Jeffrey Epstein, drawing further criticism.

Trump, posting on Truth Social, called Kimmel’s remarks “far beyond the pale” and demanded his immediate dismissal by ABC and parent company The Walt Disney Company. Melania accused the host of using “hateful and violent rhetoric.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, saying such rhetoric contributes to a broader climate of political hostility, though there was no indication Kimmel’s joke directly referenced violence.

The National Religious Broadcasters filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, urging an investigation into ABC. Its president, Troy Miller, argued that jokes about death can normalize violent thinking.

Meanwhile, authorities charged a California man with attempted assassination after he allegedly tried to breach security at the correspondents’ dinner, adding to the tense backdrop surrounding the incident.