President condemns late-night host over parody involving Melania Trump, links remarks to broader concerns following White House Correspondents’ Dinner security incident
President Donald Trump on April 27 called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired after a skit that mocked First Lady Melania Trump.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged ABC to take action following Kimmel’s parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. During the segment, Kimmel joked that the first lady “had a glow like an expectant widow,” a remark that drew criticism from Trump and his supporters.
Trump described the segment as “shocking” and criticized the use of edited footage that appeared to show Melania Trump and their son, Barron Trump, seated in the studio audience.
“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,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump also suggested a connection between the skit and a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, though authorities have not publicly confirmed any such link.
“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.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to ABC for comment.
Melania Trump also suggested ABC should dismiss Kimmel over what she described as “hateful and violent” remarks.
Video footage from the event at the Washington Hilton showed the first lady seated next to the president and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. At one point, she appeared visibly shaken and began moving off stage before she and the president were escorted to safety by Secret Service agents.
A White House official confirmed that suspect Cole Allen was arrested in connection with the shooting. The official said Allen allegedly wrote a manifesto, sent it to family members, and traveled from California to Washington ahead of the incident.
On Sunday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Allen was likely targeting Trump and members of his administration before being subdued by security personnel outside the dinner.
While Trump praised the Secret Service during an interview on 60 Minutes, a senior White House official said chief of staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting to review security protocols with administration officials.
This is not the first time Kimmel has faced criticism from the Trump administration. In September 2025, his show was briefly taken off the air following comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination. At the time, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said Kimmel may have made misleading statements.
When he returned to air, Kimmel said, “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.”
Responding to the controversy, Trump criticized ABC for reinstating Kimmel, calling the host “in jeopardy” and describing the network as “not funny” in another Truth Social post.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that his wife was unharmed and is “doing great” following the incident. He added that a Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was protected by a bulletproof vest.
