Main points
- Jimmy Kimmel joked about Melania Trump on his show, calling her a “future widow,” which angered Donald and Melania Trump.
- The US President called on ABC to fire the host, and Melania Trump wrote that Kimmel's rhetoric is dividing the country and spreading hatred.
Donald and Melania Trump, Jimmy Kimmel / Collage of Channel 24
A scandal has erupted in the US surrounding host Jimmy Kimmel. On the eve of the shooting in Washington, the showman jokingly called Melania Trump a “future widow.”
Jimmy Kimmel parodied the upcoming White House Correspondents' Association dinner on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which aired on April 23 (a few days before the event), Hello! reports.
On the evening show, the host posed as the host of the event and made harsh jokes about the US president and his wife. In particular, Jimmy Kimmel called Trump a “trembling drama queen who is afraid of comedy.”
Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, how beautiful she is. Mrs. Trump, you shine like a future widow,
– Kimmel also said.
By the way, the host also made fun of the recent scandal with Trump, when he portrayed himself as Jesus Christ.
Jimmy Kimmel jokes about the presidential couple: watch the video online
Donald and Melania Trump outraged by Kimmel jokes
US President Donald Trump has called on ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel over his jokes, CNN reports.
Melania Trump published her position in a post on social media and supported her husband.
Kimmel's hostile and violent rhetoric is aimed at dividing our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy,
– wrote the First Lady of the United States.
Melania Trump added that people like Jimmy Kimmel should stop “spreading hate” and that relevant TV channels should stop defending such rhetoric.
Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn't comedy – his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.
People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to…
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 27, 2026
How does Jimmy Kimmel respond to criticism?
The showman responded to the accusations of Donald and Melania Trump, writes the BBC. Jimmy Kimmel stressed that he was only joking about the big age difference between the couple and “the joyful expression on the first lady's face that we see every time they are together.”
This was in no way a call to murder, and they know that. I have been openly against violence for many years,
– the presenter emphasized.
Kimmel added that his jokes became a sensation only because of the incident.
What happened in Washington?
On April 25, a White House Correspondents' Association dinner was held. Suddenly, a gunman opened fire with a shotgun. The US President, the First Lady, and other senior officials were urgently evacuated.
According to Donald Trump, it was a “traumatic experience” for his wife, but law enforcement responded immediately. The suspect in the attack was charged with three criminal counts.