Jimmy Kimmel Defends ‘Widow’ Joke After Donald & Melania Trump Demand ABC Fire Him
What To Know
- Jimmy Kimmel defended a joke he made about the First Lady after Donald and Melania Trump demanded ABC fire him.
- Kimmel emphasized that his joke aired before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and was unrelated to the traumatic shooting incident.
- He called for rejecting hateful rhetoric and suggested that the Trumps address such issues themselves.
Jimmy Kimmel experienced a sense of déjà vu on Monday night (April 27) as he defended himself after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump called for his firing.
On Monday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host defended a joke he made three days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, in which he said Melania had “the glow of an expectant widow.” Certain MAGA supporters have twisted his words in light of Saturday’s (April 25) shooting, with many demanding ABC fire him.
At the top of his monologue, Kimmel reminded viewers that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was traditionally hosted by a comedian, who would roast the room, including the president. However, this year, instead of a comedian, Trump appointed mentalist Oz Pearlman to host the event.
“So, on Thursday, three days before the event, in order to keep that cherished tradition alive, I did my own version of the correspondents’ dinner on my show,” Kimmel stated. “Again, this was Thursday, and there was no big reaction to it, until this morning, when I greeted the day with yet another Twitter vomit-storm, and a call to fire me from our First Lady!”
Addressing the widow joke, Kimmel explained it was “obviously a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they’re together. It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am.”
He added, “It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination, and they know that I’ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence in particular.”
Kimmel said he could understand that the First Lady “had a stressful experience over the weekend… and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house.”
He also agreed that “hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”
In recent months, Trump has threatened that “a whole civilization will die” in his war with Iran, celebrated the death of ex-FBI chief Robert Mueller, writing “I’m glad he’s dead,” and mocked the late director Rob Reiner after he was murdered.
Kimmel continued, “I am sorry that [Melania] and the president and everyone in that room on Saturday went through that. I really am. Just because no one got killed doesn’t meant it wasn’t traumatic and scary. And we should come together and be best. We really should.”
“But if you want us to believe that a joke I made three days before this dinner had any effect on anything that happened, well maybe you should look into this psychic lady, too,” he added before airing a clip of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt talking to reporters ahead of the dinner, where she joked there would be “some shots fired in the room tonight.”
“You know who’s going to be furious when she hears that? White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt,” Kimmel quipped.
You can watch Kimmel’s full opening monologue in the video above and let us know your thoughts below.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, ABC
Conversation25 Comments
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A
Hopefully, Jimmy's explanation would douse the fires except where the Trumps are concerned. I just wish Stephen Colbert was new last night so he could have addressed this while it was still fresh, but hey, I'm sure he will when his final roll of shows airs next week or so!
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T
Hey Antonio I come in Peace. I haven’t checked to see (Ana Navarro piece) if you’ve been there but I left you Two replies with NO sarcasm. I’d like to Ask not demand that you go back and read them. Kimmel didn’t make Any kind of an apology that I know of. Are you Hoping Colbert will try to put out fires or just the Usual ridicule and scorn ? When people die from violence theres no room for humor. Only by the grace of God and a great working bullet proof vest is that law enforcement officer not deceased today !!
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A
I'd say by the Crace of God are people like Kimmel and Colbert able to continue airing their views uncensored and with no real backlash except where one-sided right-wingers are concerned. (But I still defend your right to your views.)
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T
No concern at all for the law enforcement officer Huh ? Well you share Allot of company, Most on the Left have very little to No respect for our law enforcement . Who Have to endure all sorts of abuse from Leftists. If They react They are either fired and some times imprisoned. And the odd.thing is No liberal DA or liberal Judge will come to their aid as they do So often for career criminals and Especially Illegal Immigrants. But I defend you’re right to to those views no matter how UnAmerican they might be. Still offer you to see the two replies I left you on the Ana article. You’ll find I made NO snark or sarcasm at you.
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I saw them and I think you for the replies. You may be happy to know that I always look for all your comments when I put my arrow on your username. I rarely agree with them but I'm always interested in what you have to say. (I also look at a cite called The Right Scoop which I used to comment on before I was banned. I'm surprised you're not a member there unless you go by another username I don't know of.) And I'm glad that law officer is fine. But then, he knows the risks that job takes and doesn't expect the hero recognition you seem to imply anyone opposite your views would have no respect for. I do think that's too one-sided of a view for my tastes, that's all.
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T
No I’ve honestly never heard of it. Truthfully. Well Thx for being willing to agree to disagree in a civil manner. I have you in my mind as being late 20s or early 30s. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Am I close on your age ? Just curious.
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I'm 58 which puts me near the turbulent era of those protests of the Vietnam War as well as the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the election of Nixon.
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T
At that age you’d think you’d know more about law enforcement. When’s the last time you saw or heard of one imploring to be recognized as a Hero ? Do you know what the average salary for a Cop is ? Chicken feed especially putting their lives on the line. And they do Heroic things all the time and never get the slightest acknowledgement for them. But let them screw up !! Goodness gracious the Left will be on them like a hawk on a mouse. NO they’re dedication comes from Far more than just $$. You have to be a very special person to be a Cop. I had to baby sit the people they arrested for 12 years I know a tad about it. Other than getting busted up some I was very blessed by God. Unfortunately Allot of people on the Left have little to No respect for law enforcement. I suppose they want us to revert back to the Wild West days. Where there was little to no law enforcement and thus little order. Just chaos with Allot of people having guns. As I said I’m 69 and I remember Allot of those things you mentioned with crystal clear clarity as well as allot of other events. I probably won’t be around to see it. But I think you’re gonna be very disappointed with the Shangri-La you thought Socialism would yield. Yes very disappointed. There will come a day that comparatively Trump will seem like an Angel, and that day won’t come from right wing politics. Just for the record JFK was in my view the last of the great Democrats. FDR and Truman were great to.
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A
I guess we'll to agree to disagree and I'll leave it at that...
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T
Sounds fair enough. Best wishes to you, I hold no malice for you. The world is made up of people who don’t agree. Peace be unto you.
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C
Jimmy is an arrogant, not funny, and lame. He is just riding on President Trump to get comedy from. He could not run the country any better. He should be off the air.
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T
Trump has had three, four if you count the Idiot that was pointing a rifle at the WH but law enforcement disarmed him before he fired, attempts on his life. Now think if that had been Obama or Biden with just One attempt. Cities across America would bd sizzling like bacon in a frying pan !! To the best of my knowledge ( media) Neither has ever had a physical attempt. I’m sure some Lunatics on the right have probably made internet threats. And I remember One time a paper image of Obama was burned in effigy. Which was Totally Wrong. But that’s old hat for Trump. People doing that are down right peaceful as far as he’s concerned ( yes sarcasm). Look I didn’t like Obama or Biden and Totally disagreed with their views. But I didn’t Hate them. That’s a Very poisonous word to me. And I most certainly didn’t wish them or their families any harm. In fact I was sorry to hear that Joe has prostate cancer at my age of 69 I could be next. And I Already have Two different types of cancer. I Know you on the left Hate Trump with a deep passion but he is the duly elected President of our country. If nothing else you should Hope that he will do some things we can All agree to. And NO I don’t always agree with the things he Says and Does. Hate Never solves anything. I don’t Hate Kimmel though I greatly dislike him.
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S
Hate is the right word for Trump!!! Never would have said that about any other president.
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T
You’re opinion we all have them.
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L
Lets see, when did all of this hate start? Could it be when the "president" ran for his first term? He started all of the hate speech and hasn't quit.
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T
Nope. Obama did.
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T
Sooner or later the Left will probably get the socialism ( which is just slightly watered down communism) they are pushing so hard on our country. When the country falls to Venezuela level, or worse N. Korea they won’t be able to say that we on the right didn’t try to tell them. Zoran is Already destroying NYC, already begging for help from the Fed. Govt. on certain issues. He’ll utterly Ruin that once great city. Then say it’s All Trump and the GOP’s fault !! Nope you wanted him. You GOT him. Same with VA and the Liar Spanberger ( might have her name misspelled and frankly don’t care). That great state will plummet in short order. But same as Zoran, you wanted her, you GOT her. No excuses !! When those two ruin those places it’s All on the people that voted them in.
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T
A template for Jimmy on a proper apology. I want to apologize about comments I made on my last show about the President and First Lady. Look I don’t particularly like the President. And I Totally disagree with his policies. But I got a little to carried away and said things for which I shouldn’t and for those I apologize. End of template. Now Kimmel could have put that in his own choice of words. But that way he would have made apologies Yet not forfeited his stand against Trump. But No he just couldn’t find it within himself to do that. He just HAS to try to get a cheap laugh. Why ? Because of in the words of Jim Carey, he’s Just Gotta !! P.S. Trump is Wrong demanding the man’s job. But the Network Should fire him as the previous suspension was a warning. He ignored the warning. But if they did fire him property would be destroyed and more importantly People would be injured. Would be the Perfect excuse for leftists to burn, destroy, injure, and loot. So I feel for the Network they’re pretty much stuck with this man whose veins are filled with battery acid.
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A
I'll just reiterate what Jimmy said and not say any more about it: He made the comments before that Dinner. They were a reference to the fact she's younger than Kimmel and she's married to a man who's almost 80 and therefore closer to Heaven then she is right now. It was in no way, shape, or form, meant to imply Kimmel wanted him killed It was just a joke about their vast age differences, that's all! Okay, I'm done...
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T
So not enough for him to go after the President. He’s got to go after the First Lady to. Maybe because Jimmy’s wife is Woof Woof ? Jealousy is a pathetic thing. Course of you look up the word pathetic you might see Kimmel.
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T
Whew Jimmy’s apologies almost put me in tears. 🙄 Now Watch if the network threatens to suspend him he’ll stick a fresh cut onion in his pocket. Make a few insincere words. Then go right back to bashing. He Didn’t Care a bit about a Coward shooting Charlie Kirk JUST because the shooter didn’t agree with Charlie !! There’s no telling how many psychotic lunatics that Kimmel inspires to violence. Great job there JimBo. You’re a real Commodean !! Without Trump you wouldn’t Have a job as you certainly don’t have any talent.
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M
But it's ok for Trump to post on truth social he's glad Mueller died and saying Rob Reiner's murder was because TDS. Kimmel wasn't happy about Charlie Kirk dying.
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T
NO. Actually it’s NOT OK that he says those sort of things. I don’t always agree with the things he says Or does. But the main point I made remains. It’s Not people on the right assassinating people and/or destroying both public and private property. And assaulting our law enforcement as well as innocent bystanders in the name of protest.Wrong is Wrong whether Right or Left. And I Still say that people like those I named inspire the lunatics. My wife who like me is a staunch conservative but probably more open minded than me. Said she watched Maddow last night for the first time and said All Maddow could talk about was ways to organize Against Trump. No News just multiple points about “ Stopping Trump” Do you think some Deranged person on the Left might take that “stopping” to seriously ? Oh and I’m sorry but Kimmel could care less about Charlie dying or How. He figured (wrongly) that it’d make a great comedy talking point. Until he thought he was about to lose his job. THAT was why he feigned sympathy. Note that he went right back to bashing as soon as the suspension was lifted. Now how did the Chiefs do in the draft ? I’m not really a NFL fan I’m a CFB fan but I take a peek every once in a while.
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L
What about Pelosi's husband, what about Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman being assassinated at her home. But I guess you forgot about those and many more.
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T
Nope. Haven’t forgot. And those were Wrong to.
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