Melania Trump has called on ABC to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the air, accusing the late-night host of spreading divisive rhetoric that she says is poisoning the country's political climate.
The first lady's demand came in a post on X following a monologue Kimmel delivered on Thursday in which he referred to her as an "expectant widow" while discussing the Trump family's connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Melania characterized his words as "corrosive" and "intended to divide our country," arguing they amount to something far darker than comedy.
"People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate," she wrote, adding that the comedian operates with impunity because ABC continues to shield him from consequences. She called the network's protection of Kimmel "atrocious behavior at the expense of our community" and declared it time for leadership to step in.
The timing of her statement followed a shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday, though her criticism targeted Kimmel's pre-attack monologue and his broader pattern of commentary about Donald Trump.
Kimmel has faced pressure from Trump allies before. Last September, the FCC chair and Trump supporter Brendan Carr publicly pressured ABC over jokes the host made about the president, leading to a temporary suspension. That move sparked fierce backlash from free speech advocates who questioned whether a government official should be threatening broadcasters over comedy content. ABC eventually returned Kimmel to the air.
Other Republicans joined Melania's criticism. Meghan McCain posted on X that she was "so deeply sick of Jimmy Kimmel and the hate he spreads in the world."
The dispute underscores the collision between Trumpworld's demands for accountability against perceived enemies and longstanding traditions protecting comedians and commentators from government or pressure-campaign censorship. Kimmel's team has not yet responded to the calls for his removal.
Author James Rodriguez: "Melania's attack on Kimmel conveniently ignores that her husband has spent years calling for violence against protesters and opponents, but the real story here is whether ABC will fold under pressure or stand by their host."
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