Jimmy Kimmel defends “expectant widow” joke after Donald Trump calls for him to be fired

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Jimmy Kimmel is defending a joke he made about Melania Trump, which has sparked controversy. He described it as a harmless and gentle tease, and strongly denied that it was intended to incite violence or suggest anyone should be harmed.

During the April 23rd episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the host did a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He joked about First Lady Melania Trump, saying, “Of course, our First Lady is here. She looks beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like someone expecting to be widowed.”

The actual Correspondents’ Dinner was cut short two days later, on April 25th, when a shooter was apprehended and detained by authorities.

Following a joke made about them, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have asked for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired. Kimmel is now responding to their request.

Jimmy Kimmel defends joke while rejecting “violent rhetoric”

Jimmy Kimmel opened his show Monday night with a joke about the First Lady recently asking for him to be fired. He playfully suggested it’s something everyone can relate to, saying, ‘You know how sometimes you wake up and the First Lady wants you fired? We’ve all been there.’

He tried to explain the joke, saying it was a gentle comment about the age difference – he’s nearly 80 and she’s younger than the speaker. He insisted it wasn’t a threat or even close to one, and that the people who were upset knew that as well.

I’ve consistently spoken out against gun violence for years. I also recognize the First Lady likely faces a lot of stress, especially given the pressures of living in the White House. I agree that hateful and violent language is unacceptable, and I believe a good first step towards reducing it would be for her to discuss this with her husband.

Everyone in America, including Donald Trump, has the right to express their opinions freely, thanks to the First Amendment.

What the Trumps said about “expectant widow” joke

Following the incident at the Correspondents’ Dinner, both the President and First Lady shared their thoughts about Jimmy Kimmel on social media.

Melania Trump responded to Jimmy Kimmel’s recent monologue on X (formerly Twitter), calling it hateful and divisive. She stated that his comments about her family weren’t funny, but instead contributed to the negativity and political division in the United States.

It’s unacceptable that someone like Jimmy Kimmel is given a platform to share hateful views in people’s homes every night. He relies on ABC to shield him from criticism, knowing they’ll defend his actions. This needs to stop. ABC needs to take responsibility and stop enabling Kimmel’s harmful behavior, which negatively impacts our community. How much longer will ABC protect him?

Donald Trump then took to Truth Social, criticizing Jimmy Kimmel’s low television ratings and calling a recent statement Kimmel made on his show “really shocking.”

He displayed a fabricated video showing his wife, Melania Trump, and their son, Barron, seemingly in his studio listening to him. This never happened, and wouldn’t. He then announced, ‘Here’s our First Lady, Melania – so beautiful!’ and bizarrely added, ‘Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like someone expecting a spouse to pass away.’

The night after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, someone attempted to enter the event carrying a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives. It was clear they intended to cause harm. Many people are understandably outraged by Jimmy Kimmel’s recent comments encouraging violence, and believe he should be fired by Disney and ABC immediately.

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2026-04-28 12:49