A major controversy erupted over late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s expectant widow” remark directed at first lady Melania Trump. The sharp jibe was made before a shooting incident linked to White House Correspondents’ Dinner coverage. However, the clip resurfaced following the incident, and Kimmel has been under fire ever since. Most recently, a White House official publicly criticized the late-night host and called for his dismissal.
On Tuesday, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to a clip of Jimmy Kimmel defending his controversial remarks.
Without mincing words, he called the show host a “s* human being**.” He explained his stance, stating: “#1. Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the president. #2. Doubling down on that joke instead of doing the decent thing by apologizing.” He concluded, “ABC needs to fire him immediately, and he should be shunned for the rest of his life.”
Jimmy Kimmel is a shit human being for:
#1. Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the President
#2. Doubling down on that joke instead of doing the decent thing by apologizing
ABC needs to fire him immediately and he should be shunned for the rest of his life. https://t.co/utaB6gQFyb
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) April 28, 2026
Last week, during a Thursday episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the host delivered a satirical version of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD). One of Kimmel’s sharpest lines was a jab directed at the first lady as he said, “Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
Jimmy Kimmel delivered a fake White House Correspondents Dinner speech, saying “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.” pic.twitter.com/o4a59eYnZl
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) April 26, 2026
Following the shooting incident, the clip resurfaced, and the show host received significant criticism online. On Monday, Melania gave it back to Kimmel with a post on her X stating, “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 deepen the political sickness within America.”
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
She further demanded that he be fired while noting that the “coward Kimmel” is being protected by the ABC network. “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?” she wrote on a concluding note.
In addition, President Donald Trump also slammed Kimmel on his Truth Social for his “really shocking” statement. He added, “I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
President Donald J. Trump Calls on Disney and ABC to Fire Jimmy Kimmel Following His Despicable Call to Violence. pic.twitter.com/W4oxxgBZxv
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 27, 2026
On the other hand, Kimmel defended himself in Monday’s monologue, insisting that his joke was not a call for violence but rather a joke about their age difference.
He said, “It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80, and she’s younger than I am. It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination, and they know that. I’ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence, in particular.”
JIMMY KIMMEL: “I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject. I do, and I think a great place to start, to dial that back, would be to have a conversation with your husband.”
BOOM.
I stand with Jimmy Kimmel.🙏💪pic.twitter.com/jL8GeqAONV
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) April 28, 2026
He acknowledged that “hateful and violent rhetoric” should be rejected. “I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it. Donald Trump is allowed to say whatever he wants to say, as are you and as am I. Because under the First Amendment, we have, as Americans, a right to free speech,” he said.
