Jimmy Kimmel calls First Lady Melania Trump 'expectant widow'; US President demands 'immediate' firing

Washington: Following the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, an joke by American TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel has deeply offended US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump. The First Lady has called him a coward and Trump has stated that ABC and the Walt Disney Company should immediately fire him.

What did Jimmy Kimmel say?

Last week, on an episode of the talk show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', host Kimmel mocked the White House correspondents' dinner in a comedic monologue. 

According to media reports, Jimmy Kimmel during the show said that, "Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow." 

Has Jimmy also commented about Trump?

Jimmy Kimmel has previously commented on Donald Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Kimmel has said, "I haven't seen anything this dark since every page of the Donald Trump and Epstein files." He also said that Donald Trump is a fragile human being with the thinnest skin fat of any human being I've ever seen. 

How did the First Lady react?

US First Lady Melania Trump accused Jimmy Kimmel of hateful and violent rhetoric, saying it was time for ABC to take a firm stance against the comedian, who has long criticized the president and his policies.

On Monday evening, Melania Trump posted on the social media platform X, saying that, "people like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate."

"His monologue about my family isn't comedy - his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. How many times will ABC's leadership enable Kimmel's atrocious behavior at the expense of our community," she added.

What did Donald Trump say about the comment?

Hours later, Donald Trump responded on Truth Social, saying that, "[T]his is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC."

The US President also said that, “Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be,” the president noted.