Kimmel poked fun at Trump in his mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech, saying she had a “glow like an expectant widow.”

Melania Trump slams Jimmy Kimmel for ‘hateful and violent rhetoric,’ demands ABC ‘take a stand’

Kimmel poked fun at Trump in his mock White House Correspondents' Dinner speech, saying she had a "glow like an expectant widow."

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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April 27, 2026 2:09 p.m. ET

Melania Trump; Jimmy Kimmel. Credit:

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty; Disney/Randy Holmes

- Melania Trump is calling for ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

- Days earlier, Kimmel gave a mock White House Correspondents Dinner speech where he took aim at the president and first lady.

- Donald Trump echoed his wife's sentiments in a Truth Social post.

Melania Trump is criticizing Jimmy Kimmel following comments he made about her and President Donald Trump.

On Monday, the first lady slammed the late-night host in a social media post, calling on ABC to "take a stand" over what she described as Kimmel's "hateful and violent rhetoric." The post comes days after Kimmel began an episode of *Jimmy Kimmel Live* with a roast in the style of those delivered at past White House Correspondents Dinners.

There was no such roast at this year's edition of the event — first, because it was to be hosted instead by mentalist Oz Pearlman, who is not a comedian, and second because it ended early when an alleged gunman opened fire at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held. (Though Trump has urged for the event to be rescheduled, a new date has yet to be announced.)

"Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America," began Trump. "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," she continued, "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."

Jimmy Kimmel on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in April 2026.

Disney/Randy Holmes

In a post on Truth Social Monday afternoon, Donald Trump echoed his wife's call for Kimmel to be fired.

"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 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.'" the president 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," he continued. "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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

* *emailed reps for Kimmel and ABC and did not receive an immediate response.

At the top of last Thursday's *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, Kimmel explained the unique circumstances of this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner and his decision to forego his traditional opening monologue.

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"At the correspondents' dinner, typically someone funny shows up and roasts the luminaries and the president and everyone," he said, "but our president is a delicate snowflake with the thinnest fat skin of any human being ever, and that means there's gonna be no comedian this year."

"So I thought why not take a page from the Kid Rock alternative halftime show and do some of the jokes a comedian might do if our president wasn't a trembling drama queen who's scared of comedy."

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While Kimmel took aim at the president and his alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein along with the AI-generated image that rendered Trump as what appeared to be Jesus, he also made comments about the first lady, who he said had "a glow like an expectant widow."

Kimmel also called out her Amazon documentary, *Melania*, saying, "I want to congratulate you, Madam First Lady, on your huge accomplishment: the world's first motionless picture."

Jimmy Kimmel on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in April 2026.

Disney/Randy Holmes

ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel's show in September following his comments about the "MAGA Gang" and its response to Charlie Kirk's assassination. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr encouraged ABC's parent company, Disney, to intervene.

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