Melania Condemns Joke as “Hateful and Violent Rhetoric” Linked to Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting; Kimmel Calls It “Light Roast,” Escalating Long-Running Feud

Washington/Los Angeles — April 28, 2026

President Donald Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be “immediately fired” by ABC and its parent company Walt Disney Co. after the comedian made a joke about First Lady Melania Trump that the president described as a “despicable call to violence.”

The controversy erupted Monday after Melania Trump publicly condemned Kimmel in a social media post, calling his remarks “hateful and violent rhetoric” that “deepens the political sickness within America.” Hours later, President Trump amplified the criticism on Truth Social, joining his wife in demanding Kimmel’s dismissal.

The joke in question aired on the April 23 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, two days before the chaotic White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner that was disrupted by gunfire. In a 10-minute parody monologue styled as an alternative routine for the Correspondents’ Dinner, Kimmel — dressed in a tuxedo behind a podium — used edited video inserts to simulate the Trumps being in his studio audience.

“Look at Melania, so beautiful,” Kimmel said. “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

He added several other jabs, including a reference to how Melania might spend her birthday “looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’” and a quip invoking Jeffrey Epstein to introduce the couple to each other.

Trump and Melania Condemn the Monologue

Melania Trump responded Monday morning, writing that people like Kimmel “shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.” She accused ABC of repeatedly enabling his behavior and asked, “How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?”

President Trump’s statement went further, linking the joke to the assassination attempt at the Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, during which suspect Cole Tomas Allen allegedly opened fire near a security checkpoint one floor above the ballroom where the Trumps were seated.

“I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence,” Trump wrote. “This is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the criticism, telling reporters the joke was part of a broader pattern of rhetoric from some in the media and Democratic circles that has “helped to legitimize this violence.”

“Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?” Leavitt asked.

Kimmel Fires Back on Monday Night’s Show

Kimmel addressed the backlash directly during Monday night’s broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, opening his monologue with sarcasm.

“Sometimes you wake up in the morning and the First Lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired from your job,” he said. “We’ve all been there, right?”

Kimmel insisted the joke was “a very light roast” about the significant age difference between the 79-year-old president and the 56-year-old first lady, not a call for violence or assassination. He emphasized that the segment was a “pretend roast” recorded well before the shooting incident.

“I’ve been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence,” Kimmel said. He expressed sympathy for the trauma the first family and others experienced during the Saturday night incident but suggested Melania Trump “have a conversation with your husband about” violent rhetoric.

ABC and Disney had not issued any public statement as of Tuesday morning. Kimmel remains on air with no indication that his contract — which was extended last year through at least 2027 — is in jeopardy.

Long-Running Feud Reignited

This is not the first clash between Trump and Kimmel. The president has repeatedly criticized the comedian, and Kimmel has been a consistent satirical target of Trump since his first term. In September 2025, Kimmel was briefly suspended by ABC following comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. That suspension, reportedly influenced by pressure from then-FCC Chair Brendan Carr, drew widespread criticism from free speech advocates and Hollywood figures before Kimmel was reinstated.

The current controversy comes just days after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, which has already heightened national tensions around political violence, security, and inflammatory rhetoric. Actor George Clooney, speaking at an event Monday night, defended Kimmel while condemning political violence on all sides.

“Jimmy’s a comedian,” Clooney said. “Jokes are jokes… But the rhetoric is a little dangerous.”

No Immediate Action From Network

As of Tuesday, neither ABC nor Disney has commented on the Trumps’ demands. Industry observers note that while Trump has successfully pressured networks in the past, firing a high-profile host like Kimmel over satirical content would likely spark significant backlash over free speech and could invite legal and public relations challenges.

The incident continues a long pattern of tension between the Trump administration and late-night television, which has grown only more strained during his second term.

This is a developing story. ABC, Disney, and representatives for Jimmy Kimmel have not issued additional statements beyond Monday night’s broadcast.