Jimmy Kimmel defended a joke about Melania Trump after Donald and Melania Trump called on ABC to fire him following the correspondents’ dinner attack.
Jimmy Kimmel defended himself Monday night after President Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for ABC to fire him over a joke he made days before a violent security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The dispute centers on a Thursday monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” when Kimmel, in a mock routine tied to the then-upcoming dinner, described Melania Trump as having “the glow of an expectant widow.” Two nights later, the correspondents’ dinner was cut short after a man armed with guns and knives tried to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and other political leaders had gathered.
Melania Trump said in a social media post that Kimmel’s remarks were “hateful and violent rhetoric” and urged ABC to “take a stand.” President Trump later echoed the criticism on Truth Social, calling the joke a “despicable call to violence” and saying Kimmel “should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
Kimmel rejected that characterization in his Monday monologue, saying the line was “a very light roast joke” about the age difference between the president and first lady. “It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination,” he said. “And they know that.”
The late-night host also acknowledged the fear surrounding Saturday night’s incident, saying he was sorry that the Trumps and others in the room had gone through it. He said he agreed that hateful and violent rhetoric should be rejected, but questioned whether anyone should believe a joke made three days earlier had any effect on what happened at the dinner.
The suspect in the dinner incident, identified in the CBS reports as Cole Allen, was taken into custody and charged in federal court Monday with three counts, including attempting to assassinate the president. No one was injured.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also criticized Kimmel’s joke, saying it was part of rhetoric from Democrats and some in the media that she argued had helped legitimize violence. CBS reported that there was no indication Kimmel was referring to violence.
The National Religious Broadcasters association filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission asking it to investigate ABC, arguing that influential voices should not joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable.
ABC had not publicly commented in the supplied reporting; CBS News said it had reached out to the network.
The confrontation adds to an already tense history between Trump and Kimmel. Kimmel was taken off the air for several nights in September after criticism from conservatives, including Trump, over remarks he made following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. When Kimmel returned, he said he had not intended to blame any specific group for the actions of the alleged gunman, while also saying he understood how some viewers found his comments offensive.
For now, the immediate question is whether ABC responds to the Trumps’ demand or treats Kimmel’s Monday monologue as his answer to the controversy.
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