President Donald Trump has called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired after Kimmel referred to First Lady Melania Trump as an “expectant widow” during a skit parodying the White House Correspondents’ dinner.
Trump’s social media outburst
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible television ratings, made a statement on his show that is really shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be. He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.’”
Trump continued: “... a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. 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. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
Kimmel’s parody and Melania’s response
Kimmel parodied the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Thursday, ahead of the Saturday event, delivering his own alternative comedy monologue as the event’s MC. The joke drew immediate backlash, with Melania Trump issuing a statement on Monday calling on ABC to “take a stand” against Kimmel’s “atrocious behavior.”
The incident comes days after a man armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives attempted to enter the ballroom where the dinner was being held. Trump linked Kimmel’s joke to the security threat, though no direct connection has been established.
