Melania Trump has criticised late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after he joked that she looked like an “expectant widow” days before a shooting disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attended by the US president and first lady.
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The comment, delivered during Kimmel’s show ahead of the annual Washington event, has drawn renewed scrutiny following the weekend attack. Melania Trump said the remarks were “hateful and violent” and called on broadcaster ABC to take action. The network has not yet publicly responded.
First Lady Calls for Action
In a post on social media platform X on Monday, Melania Trump said Kimmel’s comments went beyond comedy and contributed to a harmful political climate.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she wrote, urging ABC to “take a stand”.
She described the remarks about her family as “corrosive” and said they deepened political divisions in the United States.
The joke had aired on Thursday during a monologue in which Kimmel previewed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Referring to the first lady in the audience at the upcoming event, he said: “Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
President Trump Joins Criticism
President Donald Trump also criticised the comedian, saying he was grateful that many people had expressed anger about the comments.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump described the joke as a “call to violence”.
“This is something far beyond the pale,” he wrote. “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
ABC’s parent company, the Walt Disney Company, has not responded to requests for comment.
Joke Resurfaces After Shooting
The monologue resurfaced on social media following the shooting at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington.
Authorities say a gunman opened fire near a security checkpoint at the event, which was held at the Washington Hilton and attended by hundreds of journalists, government officials and public figures.
President Trump and Melania Trump were evacuated from the venue but were not injured.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen. He was tackled by security agents near a staircase leading to the ballroom where the dinner was taking place.
Officials say the attack may have been intended to target members of the Trump administration.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticised Kimmel’s remarks during a news conference on Monday, describing such rhetoric about the president, the first lady and their supporters as “completely deranged”.
Previous Controversy
Kimmel has faced criticism in the past over comments related to political violence.
Last September, his late-night programme was temporarily taken off air after he discussed the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk during a monologue. In that segment, he accused what he called the “MAGA gang” — referring to supporters of President Trump — of attempting to score political points from Kirk’s death.
The show returned to broadcast a week later.
After resuming the programme, Kimmel acknowledged that some viewers believed his remarks had been poorly timed or unclear.
“I get why you’re upset,” he said at the time, adding that he understood why some people viewed the comments as inappropriate.
In the wake of the latest controversy, some conservative commentators and social media users have again called for Kimmel to be removed from television.
Speaking after the shooting at the correspondents’ dinner, President Trump said the incident had been “a rather traumatic experience” for his wife.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 28 April 2026
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