First lady accuses comedian of hateful rhetoric dividing the country following monologue referencing her as "expectant widow" days before White House correspondents dinner shooting.
3:17 PM
Melania Trump on Monday accused comedian Jimmy Kimmel of spreading "hateful and violent rhetoric" and called on ABC to take action against the late-night host, two days after gunfire erupted outside the White House correspondents dinner.
In a post on social media, the first lady said Kimmel's monologue about her family was not comedy but rather "corrosive" speech that deepens "the political sickness within America." She called on the network to prevent the comedian from continuing to broadcast his material.
"Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is aimed at dividing our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy: his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America," Melania Trump wrote. "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. Enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand."
The first lady appeared to be referring to a monologue Kimmel delivered on Thursday, several days before Saturday's shooting at the White House correspondents dinner. In that monologue, Kimmel referred to Melania Trump as an "expectant widow" during remarks that also addressed the Trumps' connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
President Donald Trump has joined his wife in calling on ABC to take action against Kimmel, who has long been critical of the president and his policies.
This is not the first time Kimmel has faced pressure from Trump-aligned figures. In September 2025, ABC suspended Kimmel after Brendan Carr, the pro-Trump chair of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened the network over jokes the comedian made about the president. That incident sparked controversy over allegations that Carr was attacking constitutional free speech protections. ABC later brought Kimmel back on air.
Melania Trump's criticism comes amid broader debate in the United States over free speech, polarizing rhetoric, and political violence following the shooting at the White House correspondents dinner.
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