Donald Trump has publicly backed his wife Melania’s calls to fire Jimmy Kimmel from ABC after the late night talk show made a dark joke that called her an ‘expectant widow.’
The controversy began on Thursday night, when Kimmel aired a segment presenting an “alternative roast” of the president in the run-up to the White House Correspondent’s Dinner.
The yearly event is normally led by a comedian and is known for its playful jabs exchanged between the president and members of the press.
This time, however, Trump chose mentalist Oz Perlman to host, and Kimmel did not receive an invitation to the high-profile dinner.
After the apparent snub, Kimmel produced his own on-air “mock” version of the occasion. The segment included pointed remarks about the president, touching on topics such as his weight and recent AI Jesus images, while also taking aim at Melania Trump—calling her “motionless” and adding the particularly grim “expectant widow” line.
That joke later drew even more scrutiny when, two days after Kimmel’s monologue, an active shooter allegedly tried to kill the president at the dinner itself.
Melania responded on Monday by urging ABC to take Kimmel off the air.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she said in a statement.
Not long after, Trump posted on Truth Social, aligning himself with his wife’s demand and accusing Kimmel of crossing a line.
“Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be,” Trump began his long-winded post.
“He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,'” Trump continued. “A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason.”
Authorities say 31-year-old suspect Cole Allen forced his way through a security checkpoint on Saturday night carrying multiple weapons, fired several rounds at the event, and was quickly apprehended by Secret Service agents and other law enforcement.
He was charged on Monday with attempting to assassinate the president, alongside two federal gun-related charges.
“I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale,” Trump said. “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”