Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s demand that he be removed from ABC and parent company Walt Disney, saying his joke about First Lady Melania Trump had been misconstrued and was not a “call to assassination”.
Kimmel addressed the controversy during the opening monologue of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following backlash over remarks made last Thursday in a parody segment tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel clarified that his comment, describing Melania Trump as having “a glow like an expectant widow”, was intended as a light jab at the age gap between the First Lady and the President.
“It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am,” Kimmel said. “It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.”
Donald Trump demands action against Kimmel
Earlier in the day, Trump said Kimmel should be immediately fired by ABC and Walt Disney, amplifying criticism that followed a shooting incident near a weekend gathering of journalists and politicians.
The President and First Lady were rushed out of Saturday’s event after gunfire erupted in the lobby of the Washington Hilton.
Authorities said a suspect, identified as Cole Allen, charged through a checkpoint and opened fire at Secret Service agents, wounding one before being subdued and arrested.
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Trump has repeatedly urged broadcasters to drop comedy or news programs he considers unfair or critical, and has previously pressed regulators to revoke licenses of such outlets.
Melania Trump calls remarks ‘corrosive’
Melania Trump condemned Kimmel’s comments, calling them “corrosive” and reflective of a broader political problem in the United States.
“Enough is enough. It is 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,” Melania Trump said in a post on X. “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
Trump echoed the criticism, saying “something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC”.
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Kimmel pushes back, cites free speech concerns
Kimmel rejected any link between his joke and the shooting, while also expressing sympathy for those affected.
“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,” Kimmel said. “I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”
He added that the joke, delivered days earlier, “had any effect on anything that happened”.
The comedian also aired a clip from 60 Minutes in which Trump criticised senior correspondent Norah O’Donnell.
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Experts note that broadcasters retain broad protections under the First Amendment, even when content is controversial or distasteful.
Public reaction divided
Reaction to the controversy has been mixed, highlighting the broader debate over free speech and political rhetoric.
“Disney and ABC are extremely lucky that Trump wasn’t assassinated on Saturday two days after Jimmy Kimmel made the joke about an ‘expectant widow,’” said Todd Doten, 57, a street vendor on Hollywood Boulevard.
“If that had happened, there would be a backlash against them the likes (of which) they’ve never seen before.”
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Others warned of the implications for free expression. “They’re going to take away freedom of speech for a lot of comedians, you know,” said Dee Thompson, 64, from North Carolina.
FCC pressure and past clashes
The controversy also revives scrutiny of regulatory pressure on broadcasters.
Last September, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr warned that stations airing Kimmel could face penalties, including fines or license risks, following remarks linked to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The warning drew bipartisan criticism, including from Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who compared the comments to threats from an organized-crime boss.
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Trump, who has survived two prior assassination attempts, has frequently criticised media outlets and suggested revoking broadcast licenses of networks he views as hostile.
In November, he also criticised an ABC News correspondent over a question posed to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince regarding the 2018 killing of a Washington Post columnist, again raising the prospect of regulatory action.
