Donald Trump has called for the immediate dismissal of Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC’s late-night comedy show, following a remark in which he said Melania Trump was “glowing like a future widow.”

The demand came just hours after a post by Melania Trump.

In a rare intervention on a current affairs issue, the First Lady of the United States indirectly but clearly also called for the host’s removal. Although she did not state it outright, she urged ABC, where Kimmel works, to take a stance on what she described as “hate speech.”

In his post, Trump wrote:

“Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is not funny at all as proven by his terrible ratings, made a statement on his show that is truly shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, as if they were actually sitting in his studio listening to him speak, which was not true and never would be. He then said: ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, she’s so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you are glowing like a future widow.’

A day later, a lunatic tried to enter the reception hall of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner armed with a shotgun, a pistol, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and threatening reason. I appreciate that so many people are outraged by Kimmel’s despicable call for violence, and normally I wouldn’t respond to anything he said, but this goes far beyond the limits. Jimmy Kimmel must be fired immediately from Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday afternoon rhetorically asked: “What reasonable person would say that a wife would be happy about the possible assassination of her husband?”

Jimmy Kimmel: "Our First Lady is here. Mrs. Trump… you have a glow like an expectant widow." pic.twitter.com/LdloPzMyXr

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 26, 2026

Melania Trump: “Hate rhetoric from Kimmel”

In her post, the First Lady accused Kimmel of “hate and violent rhetoric aimed at dividing the country.” She added that his monologue “is not comedic; his words erode and deepen the political sickness within the United States.”

People like Kimmel, she said, “should not have the opportunity to enter our homes every night and spread hatred.” The host, she continued, is a “coward hiding behind ABC, knowing the network will continue to cover for him.”

She concluded: “Enough is enough. It’s time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership allow Kimmel’s horrific behavior toward our community?”

What triggered the First Lady’s anger? In a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on his show, Kimmel mocked President Donald Trump and Melania, saying that Melania Trump “glows like a future widow,” joking about her marriage to the president. The satirical segment aired just days before the incident involving an armed individual at the Correspondents’ Dinner reception.

Disney, the parent company of ABC, which airs “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, had previously halted production of the show on September 17, two days after Kimmel said in his opening monologue that supporters of Trump were desperately claiming that the suspect in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk “is anything but one of their own,” accusing them of trying to “score political points” from the murder.

ABC brought the show back a few days later following backlash, extending Kimmel’s contract for another year, until mid-2027.