First lady Melania Trump sharply criticized ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday for his on-air comments about her and urged the Disney-owned broadcast network to “take a stand.”
In an article onTrump said Kimmel’s “hateful and violent rhetoric aims to divide our country.” She appeared to be referring to a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner that aired Thursday on Kimmel’s show.
“You have the glow of a future widow,” Kimmel said of the first lady in the segment.
The segment aired two days before a the shooter opened fire in front of the Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington. President Donald Trump, the first lady and other top officials were kicked out of the ballroom.
The suspect written in a note to his family that he felt it was his duty to target Trump administration officials.
“Kimmel’s monologue about my family is not comedy – his words are corrosive and worsen the political evil in America,” the first lady wrote. “People like Kimmel should not have the opportunity to come into our homes every night to spread hatred.”
“Cowardly, Kimmel is hiding behind ABC because he knows the channel will continue to hide to protect him,” she added. “Enough is enough. It’s time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC executives enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior to the detriment of our community.”
ABC and the Walt Disney Company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the first lady’s social media post.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Kimmel’s remarks during a press briefing Monday, saying in part: “Who in their right mind says a woman would be thrilled about the potential murder of her beloved husband?”
First lady’s criticism of Kimmel comes seven months later ABC briefly suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” amid a storm over his comments about the political motivations of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
“The MAGA gang [is] “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as something other than one of them and doing everything he can to score political points through it,” Kimmel said on his September 15 show.
Investigators had not yet released details about the suspect’s possible motivations. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, said the suspect grew up in a conservative Utah family but was later influenced by what he called “left-wing ideology.”
The week after Kimmel’s suspension, the comedian returned to the airwaves and delivered a moving opening monologue. “You understand that it was never my intention to take the murder of a young man lightly,” he said in part, referring to Kirk. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about that.”
At the beginning of December, Kimmel has signed a one-year extension at ABC to continue hosting the network’s flagship late-night talk show, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The first lady has become increasingly concerned about security measures in recent years, according to a source close to her. She can be seen asking specific questions on the inaugural parade route in the documentary “Melania.”
“Is it safe? Because if we go out, I think people will already know where we’re going out,” the first lady says in the film. “So it’s kind of like, how could this be safe, especially with last year and what’s going on and all that?”
In remarks broadcast Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” the president praised his wife’s composure during the weekend’s shooting.
“Well, I thought, you know, I’ve been through this a few times before, and she didn’t do it, to this extent,” he said. “She handled it very well. I mean, she was, she’s very strong, smart. She understood it. She knew what was going on.”
The first lady was not present when a gunman attempted to assassinate her husband in a 2024 election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The same was true when another gunman attempted to murder him later that year. in front of his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
