Trump calls on Disney to fire Jimmy Kimmel after comedy skit
Investing.com -- U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump called for the firing of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday following jokes he made during a mock White House Correspondents' Dinner skit on his show last week.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President Trump criticized Kimmel's comedy routine, which aired Thursday on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, days before a gunman attempted to enter the official White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday. The president described Kimmel's statements as "a despicable call to violence."
During the mock dinner segment, Kimmel used a fake video showing First Lady Melania Trump and the president's son, Barron, appearing to sit in his studio. The comedian joked that the first lady had "a glow like an expectant widow."
President Trump stated that Kimmel "should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC," adding that the comedian's remarks went "far beyond the pale."
Earlier Monday, First Lady Melania Trump also released a statement on X calling Kimmel's monologue "corrosive" and saying it "deepens the political sickness within America." She said Kimmel "hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him."
The first lady added that "people like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate" and called on ABC to "take a stand."
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on ABC, which is part of the Disney Entertainment Television division of the Walt Disney Company.