US President Donald Trump has again urged broadcaster ABC to dismiss late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, following a joke he made about First Lady Melania Trump.
The remarks came after Kimmel’s routine on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last week, where he delivered a mock speech as if at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
During the segment, he referred to Melania Trump, saying she had “the glow of an expectant widow”. The routine also included edited clips suggesting reactions from the Trumps and others.
Two days later, the actual correspondents’ dinner in Washington was disrupted when a man armed with weapons tried to enter the venue where the president and senior officials were present.
Why Trump objected
In a social media post, Trump said: “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired” by ABC and its parent company The Walt Disney Company.
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He added that the comment went “far beyond the pale”.
Melania Trump also criticised the comedian, saying his remarks were “hateful and violent rhetoric”.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she said.
Response from the White House
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the joke was part of a wider pattern of rhetoric.
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“Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?” she said, adding that such comments “helped to legitimise violence”.
Jimmy Kimmel: “Our First Lady is here. Mrs. Trump… you have a glow like an expectant widow.” pic.twitter.com/LdloPzMyXr
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 26, 2026
There was no indication that Kimmel’s remarks were intended to refer to violence.
Network and wider reaction
ABC did not immediately comment. The National Religious Broadcasters said it had filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, asking it to examine the issue.
Its president, Troy Miller, said: “When influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable, it contributes to a culture where violence feels thinkable.”
Kimmel has often criticised Trump in his show. He was briefly suspended last year after comments related to the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, before returning to air. His programme has been broadcast by ABC since 2003, and his current contract runs until May 2027.
