Trump Demands ABC Fire Kimmel Again Following Melania Trump Joke About ‘Expectant Widow’

(SeaPRwire) –   Donald Trump and Melania Trump both called for ABC to dismiss Jimmy Kimmel on Monday, in response to a joke the late-night comedian made last week where he described the first lady as having “the glow of an expectant widow.”

The comment about the president’s spouse was included in a segment on Thursday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” where the host impersonated delivering a comedy set at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. That gathering was cut short two nights later when a man carrying guns and knives attempted to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and a large portion of the country’s political leaders were assembled.

“Individuals like Kimmel should not get the chance to enter our homes every night to spread hatred,” Melania Trump stated in a social media post, which her husband later shared in agreement.

Kimmel explained the joke during his Monday evening monologue as a gentle roast focused on the first couple’s age gap, and “not, in any sense of the word, a call for assassination.”

He noted that he felt sorry for the president and all those in attendance who endured that upsetting and frightening event.

“I concur that hateful and violent speech is something we ought to reject,” Kimmel remarked. “I do, and I believe a strong first step to scale that back would be to have a discussion with your husband about the issue.”

ABC had no public comment on Monday.

Trump has long been the target of Kimmel’s comedy routines

Kimmel has long criticized the president in his comedy acts, and he stood his ground after a clash with the administration last autumn. ABC suspended Kimmel, and several of the network’s affiliates announced they would pull his show from the airwaves after a comment he made about slain conservative figure Charlie Kirk; these actions were backed by Trump’s FCC chair, Brendan Carr. ABC and the affiliated stations later reinstated Kimmel.

After his return, Kimmel stated that when he said “many in MAGA country are working hard to profit off of Charlie Kirk’s murder,” he did not intend to make light of Kirk’s death and did not want to give that impression. He did not offer an apology, though, and he criticized the station owners who suspended his show before reversing their decision.

Shortly following that incident, ABC inked a one-year contract extension with Kimmel that will keep his show on the air through May 2027. His show has aired on the network since January 2003.

His fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert, another regular critic of Trump, is set to end his CBS program next month.

On Thursday, Kimmel wore a tuxedo and stood behind a lectern while performing a comedy set for the WHCA dinner. His routine included fake “cutaway” shots of the Trumps and other figures pulled from existing video clips.

He pointed out Melania in the “audience,” stating, “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow that looks like that of an expectant widow.”

“I understand that countless people are outraged by Kimmel’s disgusting call for violence, and I would usually not respond to anything he says, but this crosses a line entirely,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Jimmy Kimmel should be fired immediately” by ABC and its parent company, Walt Disney Co., he added.

His wife argued that Kimmel’s “hateful and violent speech” is designed to split the nation apart. “Kimmel is a coward who hides behind ABC because he knows the network will continue to cover for him,” Melania Trump posted. “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a firm stance.”

White House press secretary also shares comments on the matter

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed this is part of a pattern of speech from Democrats and some members of the media that “has helped to give legitimacy to this kind of violence.”

“Who in their right mind would claim a wife would look radiant at the thought of her beloved husband being killed?” Leavitt questioned. There was no evidence that Kimmel was referencing violence with his joke.

The National Religious Broadcasters association submitted a complaint to the Federal Election Commission, requesting that the agency launch an investigation into ABC.

“We are witnessing a pattern of violence in this country that did not develop overnight,” stated Troy Miller, NRB’s president and chief executive officer. “When prominent figures make jokes about death or dismiss political opponents as unimportant, it helps create a culture where violence seems like a reasonable option to people who are already unwell.”

As part of his comedy set, Kimmel referenced Melania Trump’s Sunday birthday, joking, “She plans to celebrate at home just like she always does — staring out a window and muttering, ‘What have I done?’”

He also added: “Before we go any further, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania. That was my impression of Jeffrey Epstein.”

Cole Tomas Allen, the California man taken into custody after trying to storm the correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, was charged on Monday with attempting to assassinate the president.

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Associated Press reporters Jesse Bedayn in Austin, Texas, and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this article. David Bauder covers the overlap between media and entertainment for the AP. You can follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.