President Donald Trump found a recent Jimmy Kimmel monologue to be no laughing matter.
“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, 79, shared via his Truth Social on Monday, April 27. “He 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. He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.’”
During the Thursday, April 23, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel, 58, parodied the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner days before it was scheduled to occur in Washington, D.C.
While pretending to be the host of the evening, Kimmel poked fun at Melania, 56, and other major headlines surrounding the Trump administration.
Two days after Kimmel’s monologue, a gunman opened fire during the dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel and was apprehended at the scene. All attendees, including Donald and Melania, were safe. The suspect appeared in court on Monday and was charged with three criminal counts.
“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,” Donald wrote via Truth Social. “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Hours earlier, Melania also slammed the late night host for his jokes about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” Melania shared via X on Monday. “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 spread hate.”
She continued, “A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. 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?”
Us Weekly has reached out to ABC and Kimmel’s reps for comment.
Donald has been a longtime vocal critic of Kimmel and supported ABC’s decision to temporarily suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2025 following controversial jokes about Charlie Kirk‘s death.
As for Kimmel, he has previously defended his decision to address politics and make jokes about the news in the world on his show.
“To me, it just seems obvious and unavoidable, and I just can’t imagine on those nights talking about anything other than what we are talking about,” Kimmel said on the April 15 episode of the “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” podcast. “I give a lot of credit to my colleagues for doing the same thing.”
A new episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! is scheduled to air on ABC Monday night at 11:35 p.m. ET.
