Trump Demands Jimmy Kimmel's Termination After Controversial Remarks

Trump's Outrage Over Kimmel's Comments

President Donald Trump has publicly criticized late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, insisting that he should be "fired immediately" following comments made during Kimmel's show just before a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump expressed his shock at Kimmel's remarks, particularly a segment featuring what he termed a "fake video" of First Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron in the audience. Trump quoted Kimmel's monologue, highlighting a line where Kimmel remarked, "Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow." He pointed out that the day after these comments, an armed individual attempted to breach the ballroom at the event, armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, suggesting a "very obvious and sinister reason" behind the incident.

Trump stated, "I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel's despicable call to violence… this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC." This backlash follows criticism from Melania Trump, who accused Kimmel of employing "hateful and violent rhetoric" in his monologue. She expressed her views on X, stating, "His monologue about my family isn't comedy – his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America." The controversy arose after a shooting incident on Saturday at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington DC, where an armed man attempted to breach a security checkpoint, resulting in minor injuries to a US Secret Service agent. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, has been detained and is expected to face several federal charges.

Two days prior to the event, Kimmel had delivered a parody monologue about the dinner, making comments regarding the First Lady and joking about the couple's marriage. Melania also directed her criticism towards ABC, the network airing Kimmel's show, accusing it of protecting the host. She stated, "A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him," and urged, "It is time for ABC to take a stand." This dinner marked the first time Trump and Melania attended the event together since his election victory in 2016. During the dinner, gunfire was heard while Melania was seated at the head table with the President and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She appeared visibly shaken and was escorted to safety by Secret Service agents. The couple later addressed the incident in the White House briefing room, where Melania appeared emotional as Trump referenced previous threats against his life.

Kimmel has faced backlash in the past for his comments. In September 2025, he was briefly suspended from his show due to criticism over remarks related to the murder of political activist Charlie Kirk. Upon his return, he clarified, "It was never my intention to make light of a murder of a young man. I don't think there's anything funny about it." At that time, Trump had also criticized ABC for reinstating Kimmel, stating, "I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back."