Megyn Kelly has broken ranks with President Trump over his demand that ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel, calling the president's intervention 'very inappropriate' despite her own recent criticism of the late-night host.
Trump's Demand for Kimmel's Firing
President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to call for Kimmel's dismissal after the comedian joked that Melania Trump had the 'glow of an expectant widow' days before a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25. '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 wrote. 'Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,' he concluded.
Kimmel defended his joke on his show, calling it a light roast about the couple's age difference and 'not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination.'
Kelly's Shift in Stance
On The Megyn Kelly Show Thursday, the former Fox News host surprised listeners by criticizing Trump's attack. 'The president of the United States should not be calling for any private company to fire any employee, especially over free speech,' she said. Just days earlier, Kelly had lambasted Kimmel, calling him 'insensitive' and saying he never misses 'a moment to be crass.' She had questioned, 'How sick are you? Truly the left and the de-sensitivity that they're trying to create in people to the thought of political violence is truly pernicious.'
Kelly, who voted for Trump in 2020 and planned to do so again in 2024, has previously turned on him over his decision to go to war with Iran.
Unlikely Allies for Kimmel
Kimmel has found support from another unexpected quarter: Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who said, 'It is not the government's job to censor speech, and I do not believe the FCC should operate as the speech police.' Meanwhile, the FCC, led by Trump-appointed chairman Brendan Carr, demanded an early review of eight ABC TV licenses held by Disney over alleged DEI violations, though Carr denied the move was linked to Kimmel's joke.
