Topline
First Lady of the United States Melania Trump is calling on ABC to take action after Jimmy Kimmel joked that she had “a glow like an expectant widow” days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the latest effort by the White House to force a crackdown on the late-night comedian.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 18: Former first lady Melania Trump arrives on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party’s presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
The first lady said “people like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate . . . Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand,” she wrote Monday on X.
Melania Trump has not commented on the shooting at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner and did not directly address it in her X post.
During a parody segment ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Jimmy Kimmel made the crack about the first lady moments after joking about President Trump’s rumored health problems.
Kimmel continued the bit by referencing her April 26 birthday, saying she would celebrate at home “looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’” and making fun of the 10% Rotten Tomatoes score of her documentary.
Kimmel also took another jab, saying, “Oh, by the way, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania,” calling it an impression of Jeffery Epstein introducing the two.
This is breaking news that will be updated.
Tangent
Melania Trump was seated next to the president as he was evacuated from the stage by the Secret Service at Saturday’s dinner. Trump told reporters during a press conference shortly after the event it was “a traumatic experience” for his wife.
Key Background
ABC briefly suspended Kimmel’s show last year following controversial remarks he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing in September. Kimmel accused “the MAGA gang” of “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” referring to accused killer Tyler Robinson, alleging conservatives tried to blame liberals for Kirk’s killing. Before ABC announced the suspension, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened the network if it failed to punish Kimmel, telling podcaster Benny Johnson, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” warning the FCC could suspend the entire network over Kimmel’s comments.
Further Reading
Top Democrats Allege Possible FCC ‘Corrupt Pay-To-Play’ Scheme Behind Kimmel Suspension (Forbes)
ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel ‘Indefinitely’ After Charlie Kirk Comments: Here’s What He Said (Forbes)
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