Trump again urges ABC to dismiss Kimmel over first lady remark
Donald and Melania Trump renewed calls for ABC to dismiss Jimmy Kimmel after comments during his late-night routine at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Misryoum reports.
Donald and Melania Trump again pressed ABC to dismiss Jimmy Kimmel after a joke last week that described the first lady’s look as “the glow of an expectant widow.”
The renewed demand follows Kimmel’s return to the spotlight after his show’s earlier turbulence around comments ABC and local affiliates had taken issue with.. Misryoum reported that both Trump and the first lady framed the latest controversy as part of a wider pattern of rhetoric they say normalizes hatred and violence—claims Kimmel disputes.
Kimmel’s reference came during his routine on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Thursday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner week, where he performed in front of political leaders while pretending to deliver a comedic bit from the White House.. In the sketch, the host referenced Melania Trump while using the same kind of dramatic, punchline delivery associated with political satire.
That moment matters because the dinner’s atmosphere had already been changed by security chaos.. Two nights after the set-up for the jokes, a man armed with guns and knives attempted to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and much of the nation’s political leadership were gathered.. In the aftermath, the Trumps’ criticism of Kimmel’s remarks landed with extra weight, and Melania Trump later tied the issue to “hate” and “violent rhetoric.”
Kimmel, for his part, said his joke was intended as a light roast about the first couple’s age difference and insisted it was “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination.” He also said he was sorry that the president and attendees went through what he described as a traumatic and scary experience.. Misryoum notes that even with that apology for the event’s disruption, the dispute over whether satire crosses a line continued to drive headlines.
The push for ABC to act also comes against a backdrop of a long-running feud between Trump and Kimmel.. Kimmel has frequently targeted the president in his comedy, and Trump has responded repeatedly, especially after Kimmel faced consequences last fall.. At that time, Kimmel was suspended by ABC and some affiliates said they would take him off the air following a comment about assassination tied to conservative activist Charlie Kirk—an incident that later saw Kimmel return.
When Kimmel came back, he said his later remark about “many in MAGA land” working to capitalize on Kirk’s murder was not meant to treat the killing as entertainment.. He also criticized station owners who removed him, before those stations relented.. Misryoum understands that ABC, meanwhile, has sought to contain the fallout without fully ending the relationship—ABC signed Kimmel to a one-year contract extension, keeping him on the air through May 2027, according to the timeline described in reports.
The Trumps’ latest language pushes beyond criticism and into a direct demand that ABC take a stronger stance.. On Truth Social, Donald Trump declared that Kimmel “should be immediately fired,” while Melania Trump wrote that Kimmel’s comments were designed to divide the country.. She also accused the network of protecting him instead of addressing what she called “hateful and violent rhetoric.” Misryoum says this argument mirrors a broader communications strategy often seen in political conflicts: turn the controversy into a test of whether a major media brand will enforce a moral boundary.
Why the “glow” joke became a larger political flashpoint
Even without any indication that Kimmel was referring to violence during the “glow” bit itself, the dispute gained momentum because the setting and the competing narratives were already charged.. The White House Correspondents’ dinner is designed to be a blend of ceremony and comedy, but in the current era it also functions as a stage where political leaders and major networks are under intense scrutiny.. After the later security incident at the dinner, any comment that critics can interpret as normalizing harm becomes easier to weaponize.
There’s also a pattern to how these controversies tend to escalate: a joke is interpreted as problematic, political figures amplify the framing, media organizations respond in ways that satisfy neither side, and the exchange continues.. Kimmel has repeatedly presented himself as a comedian who roasts power, not encourages wrongdoing, while the Trumps have treated the material as rhetoric with real-world consequences.
Misryoum notes the dispute has also attracted attention from outside the immediate White House circle.. The National Religious Broadcasters Association filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission seeking an investigation into ABC, with its president and CEO Troy Miller describing what he called a growing pattern of violence in public life.. The complaint argues that when influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable, it can contribute to a climate where violence feels “thinkable.”
Kimmel’s apology and ABC’s silence keep the story open
Kimmel did not back down on the characterization of intent, and he did offer a form of regret aimed at the event itself—saying he was sorry the president and attendees had to endure the terrifying incident. But he did not fully concede the interpretive argument made by the Trump camp.
There was no comment Monday from ABC, leaving the network’s position unclear as the president and first lady continued to press for action.. That uncertainty matters, because ABC’s response will likely influence how other outlets handle similar conflicts—whether they treat the controversy as a boundaries issue for comedy writers, an enforcement issue for broadcast standards, or a political message war where the public conversation matters as much as any on-air policy.
For now, Kimmel is back on television while facing a renewed spotlight.. Meanwhile, another late-night host—Stephen Colbert—was described as preparing for an end to his CBS show next month.. Misryoum suggests that as major platforms weigh how far satire can go, political pressure and real-world security concerns may increasingly shape how late-night comedy is received—and how networks decide what “stays on the air.”