President Donald Trump on Monday called on Disney and ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after he said in a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner before the shooting that first lady Melania Trump had “a glow like a pregnant widow.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is not funny in any way, as evidenced by his terrible television ratings, made a statement on his show that is truly shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, acting as if they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to them speak, which they were not, and never will be. He then said, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, too. Beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow.” A day later, a maniac armed with a shotgun, handgun, and several knives tried to break into the ballroom of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He was there for a very clear and sinister reason.”
The President said, “I appreciate that many people are outraged by Kimmel’s disgusting calls for violence, and would normally not respond to anything he says, but this is beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be fired immediately by Disney and ABC. Thank you for bringing attention to this matter! President Donald J. Trump.”
Hours before the President’s statement, First Lady Melania Trump issued He responded, writing: “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric aims to divide our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy – his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America.” He further said, “People like Kimmel should not have the opportunity to enter our homes every evening to spread hate,” adding, “Enough is enough. It’s 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.”
After the statements of the President and the First Lady Section ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in which Jimmy Kimmel presented a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner-style monologue. During the broadcast, he referenced First Lady Melania Trump, saying she had “the glow of a pregnant widow”, a comment that drew laughter from the studio audience.
According to reports, the segment aired days before the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, where Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, allegedly shot a Secret Service agent through a security checkpoint, and was taken into custody. He is expected to face federal charges. Authorities said Allen wrote a manifesto, participated in leftist No Kings protests and made a small ActBlue donation to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
ABC said last December it signed on Kimmel for a one-year contract extension, before his previous contract expired in May. The deal will keep Kimmel on the air as Disney’s late-night comedian until at least May 2027.
