Donald Trump is now calling for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired, tying the comedian’s joke to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner security scare over the weekend.
In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump lashed out at the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host, accusing him of inciting violence after Kimmel made a biting joke about Melania Trump during a parody of the event.
Kimmel had quipped that the first lady had “the glow of an expectant widow,” part of a broader monologue roasting Trump and his long-running hostility toward comedians.
But Trump seized on the comment following a frightening incident Saturday night, when an armed man attempted to breach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton before being stopped by Secret Service.
Without offering evidence of any connection, Trump suggested Kimmel’s joke helped fuel the attack.
“A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom… loaded up with weapons,” Trump wrote, before declaring the late-night host’s remarks a “despicable call to violence” and demanding ABC and its parent company Disney fire him immediately.
The escalation didn’t stop there. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the outrage during a Monday briefing, calling Kimmel’s joke “deranged” and questioning how such rhetoric continues to air nightly.
The alleged attacker, identified as a 31-year-old California teacher, has since been charged with attempting to assassinate the president. Authorities say he acted on his own beliefs about targeting Trump administration officials—though no public evidence has linked him to Kimmel or any media figure.
Still, that hasn’t slowed the administration’s push to pin blame.
The demand also comes with some history. Kimmel previously faced pressure from Trump allies, including FCC Chair Brendan Carr, over his on-air jokes—sparking backlash at the time over concerns about political interference and free speech. ABC ultimately brought the host back after a brief suspension.
Now, Trump is once again zeroing in on a comedian, even as the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—an event meant to celebrate the First Amendment—becomes the backdrop for renewed attacks on media figures.
Watch Kimmel’s full monologue below:
