President and First Lady Melania Trump Demand ABC Fire Jimmy Kimmel Over ‘Widow’ Joke
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump demanded that ABC remove comedian Jimmy Kimmel from its airwaves following a controversial joke he made about them before the White House correspondents’ dinner.
- Kimmel, known for his frequent criticism of Trump, joked about Melania Trump’s appearance and made remarks about the president’s age and health during a monologue aired two days before the dinner.
- Both Trump and Melania condemned the joke as offensive and corrosive, with Melania calling Kimmel a coward and urging ABC to take a stand against him.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also criticized Kimmel’s rhetoric, describing it as deranged and unacceptable for American audiences.
- The controversy arose shortly after a security breach at the Washington Hilton, where the Trumps were present, adding context to the heightened tensions.
