Popular late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel caused a stir recently after referring to Melania Trump as an “expectant widow.” Making matters worse, days later, there was a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the same event Kimmel’s video parodied. Now, President Donald Trump is weighing in, stating that the comedian’s words were a call to violence.
Donald Trump Calls For Jimmy Kimmel To Be Fired
Following Kimmel’s parody video going viral, Trump took to his Truth Social account to respond to the comedian joking about his wife being an “expectant widow.” The president said, “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking.”
Trump went on to describe the situation, stating that Kimmel “showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be.”
After that, Trump referenced the shooting that took place at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where he was in attendance, noting, “He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason.”
The U.S. President ended his remarks by calling for Kimmel to be fired. According to him, “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.”
He concluded, “Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Melania Trump Has Also Reacted To The Clip
Hours before the president responded to Kimmel, the First Lady posted a message to X, calling his rhetoric “violent” and urging ABC to “take a stand.” Trump said, “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.”
After that, she stated that “people like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.” She also labeled the late-night host “a coward” and said he “hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.”
Like the president, she ended by calling for Kimmel’s termination, stating, “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?”
Social Media Is Divided
Following Trump’s response to Kimmel, the internet remains divided. Some view what Kimmel said as being protected by free speech, while others understand why the president would be furious. Despite that, most agree that demanding the firing of a legendary late-night host is an overreaction.
One person on X said, “I thought comedy was legal again? Are they the snowflakes now?” Someone else wrote, “Late-night TV makes a joke, politicians call for firings, and somehow everyone acts shocked. Comedy used to sting people; now it just triggers press releases.”
Another social media user wrote, “Kimmel’s joke was cruel and in poor taste – Melania and Barron deserved better. But a sitting president publicly demanding a comedian be fired is exactly the kind of press intimidation the First Amendment exists to prevent. Two wrongs, one very messy news cycle.”
Lastly, a different person addressed the “Jimmy Kimmel Live! host, saying, “Jimmy, write jokes. Your Late-Night fueled hate rallies aren’t funny.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s Video Is A Hit
Kimmel posted the now-infamous video to YouTube on April 23, entitled “Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Trump & His MAGA Minions at Our Alternative White House Correspondents’ Dinner.” Since being posted, the 14-minute-plus clip has garnered over 3.9 million views on the platform alone. It also has more than 132k “likes.”
The comments are also overwhelmingly positive. The top reply reads, “Jimmy, you and your writers truly outdid yourselves. That was brilliant.” Someone else stated, “Jimmy’s Alternative White House Correspondent’s Dinner speech was BRILLIANT!!!”
Kimmel Is Number 1 In Late Night
The landscape of late-night television is rapidly changing as some feel the format is nearing its end. However, for Kimmel, his show remains a hit with viewers as he’s currently the frontrunner in the genre.
According to Variety, as of March 20, 2026, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” had been the number one late-night talk show for three weeks straight for adults 18-49. Notably, the show delivered a 0.16 rating in the demographic.
The long-running series is also up 22% year over year, now averaging 1.91 million viewers. Season to date, the show is up 20% to an average of 1.99 million viewers.