The “shocking claim” that led Donald and Melania Trump to call for the firing of a well-known TV presenter
US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, vehemently criticized Jimmy Kimmel, star of the American late-night show industry, after a recent statement he made about the US first lady.
“Jimmy Kimmel needs to be fired immediately by Disney and ABC,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, quoted by AFP, according to Agerpres, after the presenter claimed, in a show last week, that Melania Trump “has the aura of a future widow.”
In his post on Monday, the US president said that Jimmy Kimmel is “not funny at all as evidenced by his terrible TV ratings” and his claim about the US first lady is “truly shocking”.
“He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, as if he were actually sitting in his studio listening to him speak, which did not happen and will never happen. Then he said, 'Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, she's so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have the air of a widow-to-be.'” A day later, a madman tried to enter the dinner ballroom To the White House correspondents, with a rifle, a gun and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason,” Trump added.
The American leader referred to the armed attack that took place over the weekend at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, where Donald Trump and other senior officials were present.
Trump said he appreciated “that so many people are outraged by Kimmel's vile call to violence, and normally I wouldn't react to anything he's said, but now it's way over the line.”
Melania Trump's message
The US first lady asked ABC management to “take a stand”.
“Kimmel's violent and hateful rhetoric is designed to divide our country. His monologue about my family is not comedy – his words are corrosive and deepen America's political sickness,” Melania Trump wrote on social media.
Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn't comedy – his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.
People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to…
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 27, 2026
In September, ABC announced that it was pulling the plug on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after controversy over the host's claims about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Disney-owned ABC faced protests and accusations of censorship, and a week later reversed its decision and brought the anchor back to the station.
