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A days-old Jimmy Kimmel joke has resurfaced on social media following the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday.
Last week, during Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host parodied the dinner in advance, delivering his own alternative comedy monologue as the event’s MC.
Among the gags, Kimmel joked that First Lady Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow.”
Days later, a gunman opened fire at the annual Washington, D.C. event and was apprehended at the scene. Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that investigators believe the suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was targeting members of the Trump administration.
In light of the incident, Trump’s supporters have lashed out at Kimmel over the joke about Melania, despite it being delivered days earlier.
Jimmy Kimmel and Melania Trump (ABC/Getty)
On X, right-wing political commentator Benny Johnson suggested that ABC, the network that airs Kimmel, should “issue a full on-air apology” from the host or have their broadcasting license “revoked.”
Larry O’Connor, editor of conservative outlet Townhall, labeled Kimmel a “broken man” and wrote on X, “@disney, you have a problem.”
Link Lauren, a senior aide for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 presidential election campaign, added:“Many in the mainstream media have stoked division and hatred for years. Jimmy Kimmel just made a disgusting ‘joke’ about Melania Trump becoming a widow.
“After the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and what transpired with President Trump, now they suddenly want to act shocked.”
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“Kimmel and all the rest of the deranged left should be held accountable for COLE ALLEN,” shared another supporter on X.
“That’s not comedy. That’s a smug ABC host openly fantasizing about the First Lady becoming a widow,” another claimed.
The president and first lady were rushed out of the correspondents’ dinner after shots were heard (Reuters)
The Independent has contacted ABC and Kimmel’s representatives for comment.
It comes months after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off air in September last year, over his controversial remarks about right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk’s killing.
Before the suspension was lifted, big names in Hollywood and politics — including former President Barack Obama — quickly condemned the move and raised concerns about free speech.
In his emotional return to the show, Kimmel said he accepted that some people felt his remarks about Kirk’s death had been “ill-timed or unclear or maybe both,” adding: “I get why you’re upset.”
In recent months, Kimmel and Trump have regularly exchanged jabs, with the latter describing the TV show host as a “loser” on Fox News’ The Five in March.
“He gets no ratings, none,” Trump said. “He’s got no talent.”