It’s not the first time Kimmel has drawn criticism from the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump on April 27 called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired following a skit that mocked First Lady Melania Trump.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged ABC to take action against Kimmel after the comedian staged a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. During the segment, Kimmel joked that the first lady “had a glow like an expectant widow,” a remark that drew criticism from Trump and his supporters.
Trump described the segment as “shocking” and criticized Kimmel’s use of edited footage that appeared to show Melania Trump and their son, Barron Trump, in the studio audience.
“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,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump also suggested a connection between the skit and a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, though authorities have not publicly established any such link.
“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.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to ABC for comment.
Melania Trump suggested ABC should fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for “hateful and violent” comments that he made.
Video footage of the incident at the Washington Hilton ballroom, where the dinner was being held, showed Melania Trump sitting next to the president and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The first lady looked visibly shocked at one point and began to move off stage before she and Trump were whisked to safety by Secret Service agents.
A White House official confirmed to The Epoch Times that Cole Allen was arrested in connection with the shooting. The official said Allen allegedly wrote a manifesto and sent it to members of his family, and that he traveled from California to Washington before the shooting.
On Sunday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Allen was likely targeting Trump and members of his administration before he was tackled by security officials outside the dinner.
While Trump praised the Secret Service during a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday evening, a senior White House official told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement on Monday that chief of staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting to review security protocols with administration officials.
It’s not the first time Kimmel has drawn criticism from the Trump administration. In September 2025, his show was taken off the air for several days after comments he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination. At the time, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said Kimmel may have made misleading comments.
When he returned to his show, Kimmel said, “It was never my intention to make light of a murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
Responding to the controversy, Trump criticized ABC for allowing Kimmel back on the air in a Truth Social post, calling the host “in jeopardy” and saying the network is “not funny.”
Trump told Fox News on Sunday morning that his wife was unharmed and is “doing great” after the shooting incident. A lone Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was protected by a bulletproof vest, Trump has said.
By Jack Phillips and Jackson Richman
