HOLLYWOOD (CNS) – Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was facing criticism from President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who Monday called on ABC to fire him over remarks about the first lady made before a shooting scare at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday, calling the joke a “despicable call to violence.”
Melania Trump also criticized Kimmel in a statement posted on X, saying the comments about her family crossed the line.
“His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she said.
ABC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kimmel made the remarks during a segment on his ABC show last week, delivering a mock monologue as if he were hosting the annual Correspondents’ Dinner. During the bit, he joked that the first lady had “a glow like an expectant widow.”
The comments drew renewed attention following a security incident Saturday at the Washington, D.C., hotel hosting the dinner, where authorities said an armed suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, attempted to enter the venue, prompting the evacuation of the president, first lady and other attendees.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also condemned the remarks during a briefing Monday.
“Completely deranged,” she said, adding that such rhetoric can contribute to violence.
Kimmel was briefly suspended last September following comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk that drew criticism from the Trump administration.
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