Donald Trump escalated his public feud with Jimmy Kimmel on Monday, calling for the late-night host to lose his job after a joke about First Lady Melania Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner sparked outrage inside the administration.
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Posting on Truth Social, Trump blasted Kimmel as “in no way funny” and mocked his “terrible Television Ratings” while accusing the comedian of crossing a serious line. The president also criticized what he described as a “fake video” involving Melania Trump and Barron Trump that aired during Kimmel’s monologue.
The sharpest backlash centered on Kimmel’s dinner remarks when he said, “Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.
Trump argued the comment became even more disturbing after authorities said an armed suspect attempted to enter the White House Correspondents’ Dinner just days later carrying multiple weapons.
Referencing the incident, Trump wrote, “A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason.”
While Trump said he often ignores jokes aimed at him, he claimed this moment was “far beyond the pale.” He then accused Kimmel of making a “despicable call to violence” and demanded immediate corporate action.
Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,” Trump wrote.
The latest comments add fuel to an already heated dispute. Melania Trump previously labeled Kimmel a “coward,” while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also criticized rhetoric directed at the president and his family.
As of now, neither Kimmel, ABC, nor The Walt Disney Company has publicly responded. What started as a roast-style joke has now turned into a full political and media showdown.
