Jimmy Kimmel has found himself in fresh trouble again after taking a jab at Donald Trump and his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump.
The joke was spurred by a moment during the recent UFC event when a commentator mistakenly called Melania Trump “First Lady Ivanka.”
Now, Jimmy Kimmel is being met with fresh calls for his show to be canceled amid heightened scrutiny over his remarks about Donald Trump.
Jimmy Kimmel Lands In Hot Water Over Trump And Ivanka Joke After UFC Event
During Monday night’s episode of Kimmel’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show, the popular comedian capitalized on a slip-up by a commentator while recapping the UFC Freedom 50 event held at the White House on Trump’s 80th birthday.
UFC commentator Jon Anik suffered the shocking blunder as he acknowledged Melania’s presence next to her husband, saying, “We have a moment for Carolina Gaethje, an amazing woman, getting to meet President Trump and the First Lady, Ivanka.”
Not one to miss the opportunity, Kimmel, on his show, joked, “The First Lady Ivanka? What? I guess somebody’s birthday wish came true.”
While the comedian’s joke drew heavy laughter from his audience members, the opposite was the case online for Trump supporters who lashed out at him, while demanding for the cancellation of his long-running show.
Critics Blast The Comedian Over The Joke Amid Heightened Calls For ABC To Take His Show Off The Air
On social media, Kimmel faced heavy backlash over his Trump-Ivanka joke, with many demanding that his show get axed.
“Jimmy Kimmel should have been taken off the air multiple times, but ABC has zero balls or morals,” a top MAGA supporter said on X.
A second person commented, “Yawn, man, when is he gonna be funny, like is he gonna be funny before he gets torn off the air?”
“How this weakling has a show is beyond me; he’s not funny, and he has no charisma,” another individual wrote online, with someone else calling Kimmel’s joke “disgusting” and “vile.”
However, amid the criticisms, many seemed to find the joke funny, with one person stating, “If you don’t find this funny. You are in a cult. This sh-t was funny no matter what side you are.”
Another admitted, “I despise Kimmel, but this is the only time that I can say. Fair play.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s Joke Stems From Trump’s Past Controversial Comments About His Daughter
Kimmel’s latest Trump joke seems to stem from the president’s past comments about his daughter, Ivanka, which have plagued him since the beginning of his political career.
During a 2004 appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show, Trump agreed with the host’s crude remark, calling his daughter, Ivanka, “a piece of -ss.”
Things took an even stranger turn when he made a comment about dating her during a joint appearance on “The View” in 2006, drawing serious scrutiny.
“I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her,” Trump remarked at the time.
The Comedian Came Under Fire For Telling Viewers To Boycott CBS
Kimmel’s remarks about Ivanka came shortly after he faced heavy backlash for telling people to boycott CBS over the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show.
During a Wednesday episode of his show in May, he used his usual opening monologue to address the network’s move to axe Colbert’s show, before urging his viewers to never watch CBS again.
“I will be watching. I hope that those of you who watch our show will also tune in to CBS for the last time,” Kimmel said. “Don’t ever watch it again.”
This did not go down well with many online, as calls for him to get fired spiked online.
“Oh, Jimmy… can’t wait till he gets canceled for the same reason Colbert was canceled. Losing his network $20+ million per year,” one individual commented at the time on x.
Melania Trump And Jimmy Kimmel Were Recently At Loggerheads
Melania Trump has also joined the growing list of people demanding for Kimmel’s cancellation, with the first lady citing jokes he made about her “having the glow of an expectant widow.”
The comedian’s joke was made shortly before the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting incident, prompting Melania to take to social media, demanding that ABC yank Kimmel’s show off the air.
At the time, she said, “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. “
“Enough is enough,” she added. “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.”
However, Kimmel seems to have grown a thick skin when it comes to his spats with the Trump family, as he hit back at Melania’s request for his firing by telling her to speak to her own husband first about turning down the “violent rhetoric.”