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Trump calls on ABC to fire Kimmel after he joked Melania was an ‘expectant widow’
Trump and Melania Trump say Kimmel’s joke about an “expectant widow” was beyond the pale and demand ABC fire him after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack.
- On Monday, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump demanded ABC and Disney fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over his "expectant widow" joke about the first lady, linking the remark to the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
- Kimmel's April 23 parody monologue featured a sketch about the first lady, which Trump and his allies characterized as "corrosive" rhetoric linked to the April 25 security breach at the Washington Hilton. The joke aired two days before the incident.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled the comedian's remarks "completely deranged" during a Monday briefing. Suspect Cole Tomas Allen was charged with attempted assassination following the Saturday shooting that wounded a Secret Service agent.
- ABC and parent company Disney face a critical free speech stress test, with new CEO Josh D'Amaro confronting an early decision on whether to discipline Kimmel amid intense presidential and public pressure. The choice will likely set corporate precedent on balancing talent protections with government demands.
- This controversy mirrors past interventions, including Trump's 2025 pressure on ABC over Kimmel's remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, highlighting a recurring pattern of presidential scrutiny over broadcast content and licenses. Free speech advocates argue satire remains constitutionally protected.
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The U.S. President takes a joke from Kimmel as an opportunity to demand that he be fired.
·Zürich, Switzerland
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Trump critic and star presenter Jimmy Kimmel has allowed himself a joke about First Lady Melania. The president doesn't think that's funny.
A joke about Melania Trump once again lets "The Don" go to the ceiling: US President Donald Trump calls for the release of Talkmaster Jimmy Kimmel once again after a joke. In the net, he blows up his anger.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources254
Leaning Left58Leaning Right38Center80Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources are Center
45% Center
L 33%
C 45%
R 22%
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