Melania Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, accusing him of promoting hateful and violent rhetoric after he joked about her having the “glow of an expectant widow.”
The comments were made on Kimmel’s show last Thursday, when he parodied the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Two days later, a gunman stormed the event, in the third apparent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in two years.
However, writing on X, the first lady sought to tie Kimmel to the attack on Saturday night, describing him as a “coward” seeking to divide the country.
“His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she wrote.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.
“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”
The comments tap into a longer-running grievance from MAGA-world toward Kimmel, whose comedy monologues have often targeted Donald Trump and his allies.
In 2025, the talk show host sparked a major conservative backlash for his commentary about MAGA’s reaction to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which led to his suspension.
But the latest clash comes against the backdrop of a shocking security breach on Saturday night at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
The alleged gunman, identified by authorities as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, attempted to storm the event at the Washington Hilton before being subdued by Secret Service agents.
One agent was struck in a bulletproof vest, and attendees—including journalists and senior administration officials—were forced to take cover as chaos unfolded.
Investigators say the suspect managed to get unusually close to the ballroom by exploiting gaps in the event’s layered security, including access through the hotel itself and a stairwell that allowed him to bypass parts of the screening process.
The fact that the gunman had been staying at the hotel has fueled questions about whether the venue’s dual role as a public space undermined security protocols.
And Allen also mocked an “insane” lack of security at the Washington dinner in an alleged manifesto reportedly sent to his family 10 minutes before his assault started.
“I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat,” the suspect reportedly wrote as he expressed hostility to Trump and his administration.
Trump and his supporters immediately used the event to make another pitch for his pet vanity project.
“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!” the president said in the aftermath of the attack.
MAGA acolytes also called for Kimmel to be axed over his days-old joke.
“Fire Jimmy Kimmel!” wrote Trump supporter Gunther Eagleman.
Larry O’Connor, editor of conservative outlet Townhall, also weighed in, calling Kimmel a “broken man” and declaring on X: “@disney, you have a problem.”
Political commentator Link Lauren, a senior aide for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 presidential election campaign, added, “Many in the mainstream media have stoked division and hatred for years. Jimmy Kimmel just made a disgusting ‘joke’ about Melania Trump becoming a widow. After the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and what transpired with President Trump, now they suddenly want to act shocked.”
