George Clooney has come to the defence of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after Donald Trump called for his firing over a joke about Melania Trump. The president described the joke, which referred to Melania having the glow of an 'expectant widow', as a 'despicable call to violence'. The comment was made during a skit on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' two days before the White House Correspondents Dinner, which was cancelled after a live shooter infiltrated the building.
Speaking at the 51st Chaplin Award Gala on Monday night, Clooney compared the backlash to a remark made by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt told Fox News before the dinner that 'there will be some shots fired tonight in the room', presumably referring to jokes. Clooney argued that both comments were jokes taken out of context. 'Jimmy's a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn't mean shots should be fired,' he said. 'She was making a joke. Fair enough. You look at that side and go, 'Well, jokes are jokes.' But the rhetoric is a little dangerous. And we've seen it a lot lately.'
Clooney called for a toning down of hyperbolic rhetoric, noting that when one side labels opponents as 'traitors to the country', a charge punishable by death, the rhetoric becomes too heated. The actor, son of a journalist, has long advocated for press freedom. His recent stage adaptation of 'Good Night, and Good Luck' chronicles Edward R. Murrow's takedown of Senator Joseph McCarthy. 'My father's rule when we were growing up was to challenge people with more power,' Clooney said. 'That's always been our mantra.'
The gala also featured Stephen Colbert as a presenter, along with several of Clooney's former co-stars. Clooney reaffirmed his faith in the press, stating, 'I always have faith in the press. I always believe in it. I'm the son of a journalist. I also think that you're not supposed to have a good relationship with government. You're supposed to be questioning them.'
