Melania Trump told ABC that Jimmy Kimmel’s “hateful and violent rhetoric is aimed at dividing our country” and urged them to “stand strong” against him. Two days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was evacuated due to a mass shooting, Kimmel parodied hosting the event on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” joking that first lady Melania Trump had the glow of a “pregnant widow.” The joke sparked widespread criticism among President Trump’s MAGA supporters after the shooting.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is aimed at dividing our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy. His words are corrosive and deepen the political ills in America,” Melania Trump posted on X. “People like Kimmel should not have the opportunity to enter our homes every night to spread hate. Kimmel, a coward, hides behind ABC because he knows the network will protect him. Enough is enough. It’s time for ABC to take action.” How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocities at the expense of our community? ”
Variety has reached out to representatives for Kimmel and ABC for comment.
Kimmel regularly bashes Donald Trump on his late-night show, but has increasingly targeted Melania in recent months. The release of the Amazon documentary “Melania” in January angered Kimmel. He denounced the film as a “$75 million bribe” made for her by “Amazon,” and later called it “a horribly boring documentary. All it does is Melania going to fittings, riding in cars, trying on clothes, and interviewing the people who work for her.”
When Melania Trump gave a surprise speech at the White House on April 9 to distance herself from Jeffrey Epstein and declare that the two were never friends, Kimmel called BS during her monologue and aired a photo of Trump and Epstein posing together.
The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner was forced to end early after gunshots were heard outside the venue. Donald Trump, Melania Trump and administration officials were quickly evacuated from the event as law enforcement captured a gunman on another floor of the venue. President Trump held a press conference shortly after the shooting and promised to reschedule the WHCD within 30 days.
ABC previously pulled Kimmel off the air in September 2025 due to his comments regarding the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. When she returned to the air on September 23, Kimmel became emotional and said she did not mean to “make light of the murder of a young man.”
