George Clooney is riding hard in Jimmy Kimmel‘s corner!
The blockbuster filmmaker defended the comedian’s jokes about Melania Trump, which have since caused a social media uproar. President Donald Trump and his wife have called the comedian out on the remarks they found offensive, labeling them as a call to violence.
George Clooney insists that Jimmy Kimmel’s words should not be taken to heart and did not instigate the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
George Clooney Defends Kimmel, Saying ‘Jokes Are Jokes’
Clooney attended Monday night’s 51st Chaplin Award Gala with his wife, Amal, where he was celebrated as the honoree for his long and illustrious career in Hollywood. During his speech at the event, the actor took time to address the issues on the ground regarding popular comedian, Kimmel, and the Trumps.
In case you missed it, Kimmel made a skit during an episode of his late-night show last Thursday, as a mock version of the WHCD, where he said that Melania had “the glow of an expectant widow.” His words ignited a heated response from the politicians who have called for him to be fired by ABC. In Kimmel’s defense, Clooney said “jokes are jokes,” cautioning that the “rhetoric is a little dangerous” and “we’ve seen it a lot lately.”
The filmmaker also pointed out that Trump’s chief spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, also made a joke while talking to a Fox News reporter on the red carpet. Variety reported that Leavitt joked about “shots fired” before the shooting at the dinner took place, and Clooney noted that she did not literally mean that “shots should be fired.”
Donald Trump Does Not Share The Actor’s Line Of Thoughts
Days after Kimmel’s skit went viral, an incident occurred at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. An alleged gunman opened fire during the event on Saturday night, causing it to be canceled, and Trump says the comedian’s skit had a hand in the unfortunate circumstance.
The POTUS took to social media to address the comedian’s words about Melania being “an expectant widow.” Trump began the post writing, “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.”
He then described details of the skit where Kimmel showed “a fake video” of the first lady and their son Barron sitting and listening to him. Trump clarified that they were never in his studio and would never be. Shifting focus to the WHCD, he noted that the shooter came in loaded with weapons for a “very obvious and sinister reason.”
The Blast reported that Trump ended his post, urging Disney and ABC to fire Kimmel, as his recent remarks had hit below the belt. “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,” the U.S. president wrote.
Melania Trump Did Not Find The ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Host Words Funny
Trump’s address came hours after the First Lady had personally voiced her opinion as well on social media. She tagged his rhetoric as “hateful and violent” with the intent to divide the country. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America,” she wrote in her post. The FLOTUS also stressed that ABC take a stand and take Kimmel off the screens for his “atrocious behavior.”
Melania further claimed that the comedian was spreading hate and ABC was enabling him at the expense of the community. Melania’s view of division was quite evident in the comments as internet users took opposite sides. Some claimed that Kimmel was protected by his rights to free speech, and calling for him to be sacked was an overreaction. Others sided with the Trumps, agreeing that the late-night show’s host jokes were cruel and in poor taste.
Jimmy Kimmel Maintains That Humor Was The Motive Behind His Words
Amid the drama, Kimmel remains unfazed, insisting that the accusations that his comments were a call to violence are over the top. He stressed that describing Melania as having “a glow like an expectant widow” was “obviously a joke about their age difference.”
The comedian clarified that his comment was not a call for assassination but was “a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than [he is].” Furthermore, Kimmel stressed that he has been speaking out against gun violence over the years, and he does not stand by the 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, who was apprehended for his attempt to assassinate Trump.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show host expressed sympathy for the incident that led to the cancellation of the WHCD. “I am sorry that you and the president and everyone in that room on Saturday went through that. I really am,” he said. The Blast shared that a source close to Kimmel shared that he had a good laugh at Trump and Melania’s reactions on social media.
George Clooney Previously Called The President Out On War Crimes
Earlier this month, the “ER” actor gave a speech in an Italian high school where he stated that Trump was committing a war crime by threatening to wipe out a whole country amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. He stressed that Trump indeed committed a war crime by showing intent to physically destroy a nation according to the definition of the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.
That was not the first time Clooney was taking a jab at the POTUS. On New Year’s Eve, Trump had made a social media post mocking the actor and his wife for their recently acquired French citizenship and Clooney’s support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Trump also added that the Golden Globe awardee had become famous for his political stance instead of his abilities as an actor.
The Blast shared in a previous release that Clooney responded with a promise to have Trump out of the seat by November 2026. His promise to make America great again depends on the results of the midterm general elections, which will determine which party controls Congress.
It seems in the face of rising drama, Kimmel can count on George Clooney’s support.