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Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel renewed his mockery of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump Wednesday, joking about their relationship following backlash over his “expectant widow” joke last week.
Kimmel opened his monologue by suggesting his joke had an unintended effect on the couple’s relationship. “Our first couple, Donald and Melania, have seemed closer than ever,” he said. “And I like to think I played a part in that.”
Referencing recent footage of the Trumps at a White House state dinner for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Kimmel pointed to what he described as an awkward interaction between the couple.
“Considering the week I’ve had with the first couple, I’m just going to say that is a completely normal way to interact for two people who are very much in love,” Kimmel said. “Maybe that’s why his hands are all bruised, from Melania swatting them away.”
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Melania Trump’s senior advisor, Marc Beckman, said Kimmel should be fired. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
The remarks follow controversy stemming from Kimmel’s April 23 show, when he staged an alternative White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner after the Trump administration opted not to feature a comedian at the annual event.
During that segment, Kimmel made a comment about the first lady that drew widespread backlash.
“Look at Melania, so beautiful,” Kimmel said. “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
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ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel remained defiant Monday night, insisting his now-viral “expectant widow” joke about President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump was simply about their age. (Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
Only days later, a shooting at the Washington Hilton interrupted the actual dinner. Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, who was charged with attempting to assassinate the president and with federal weapons violations. Officials said the motive remains under investigation.
In the aftermath, both the president and first lady publicly condemned Kimmel.
“He should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Melania Trump also issued a statement criticizing the late-night host.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she said.
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President Trump renewed his calls for Kimmel to be fired following the “expectant widow” joke about the first lady. (Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Kimmel addressed the backlash earlier in the week, rejecting claims that his comments encouraged violence.
“It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination,” Kimmel said. “I’ve been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence.”
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The controversy has also intersected with broader tensions between the Trump administration and ABC’s parent company, Disney. The Federal Communications Commission recently moved to accelerate review timelines for Disney-owned broadcast licenses, a step the administration said is tied to an ongoing examination of the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
