First lady Melania Trump urged ABC to take action against Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night host joked that she had “a glow like an expectant widow” during a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologue.
Trump criticized Kimmel in a Monday post on X. She said his comments were not funny and accused him of spreading “hateful and violent rhetoric.”
This statement came two days after a shooting scare at the actual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, where President Donald Trump and the first lady were present.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” Melania Trump wrote. “A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep protecting him.”
She continued, “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.”
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
Kimmel made the joke Thursday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” during a fake Correspondents’ Dinner speech that targeted Trump, his family, and several political figures. In the segment, he said, “Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
Initially, the line drew little response when it aired, but it gained attention after Saturday’s security incident at the Washington Hilton. Reuters reported that a man harmed a Secret Service agent before being detained near the dinner venue.
Melania Trump did not directly call for ABC to fire Kimmel. However, her statement that he should not have the chance to appear in viewers’ homes each night served as one of her strongest public calls for the network to discipline or remove him.
As of Monday, ABC and Kimmel had not publicly responded to the first lady’s statement, according to The Guardian.
Jimmy Kimmel: “Our First Lady is here. Mrs. Trump… you have a glow like an expectant widow.” pic.twitter.com/LdloPzMyXr
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 26, 2026
This conflict places ABC and parent company Disney back in the center of a political battle over Kimmel, who has long used his late-night show to criticize Trump. The comedian has mocked the president for years, while Trump and his allies have consistently accused him and other late-night hosts of partisan attacks.
Kimmel also faced significant trouble with ABC in 2025 when the network briefly suspended his show after comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination received backlash. The suspension followed pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and some ABC affiliates, Reuters reported. Kimmel later returned to the air.
Melania Trump has generally avoided frequent public conflicts with entertainers and media figures, making Monday’s post a notable escalation. Her statement focused not just on Kimmel’s joke, but also on ABC’s decision to keep him on the air.
“How many times will ABC’s leadership allow Kimmel’s awful behavior at the expense of our community?” she wrote.
