President Donald Trump on Monday called for ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, arguing the comedian's remarks amounted to rhetoric that encourages political violence against him.
The latest issue comes just days after gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton, where Trump, first lady Melania Trump and senior officials were in attendance.
According to reporting from The Guardian, an armed suspect opened fire near a security checkpoint, wounding a Secret Service agent before being subdued.
But it was Kimmel's bad timing days before the tragedy that has caught the attention of the president and first lady.
On Thursday — before the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday — during his monologue on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Kimmel referred to the first lady as an "expectant widow" in a rant about the president's alleged connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump said Kimmel should be "fired immediately," according to The Hill, framing the dispute as part of a broader concern about media figures normalizing hostility toward political leaders in the wake of the gala's shooting.
The first lady also took Kimmel to task for "hateful and violent rhetoric" and said ABC should "take a stand" against him.
The president's criticism drew on previous comments about the first lady, which Trump and allies have pointed to as emblematic of what they describe as increasingly dangerous political rhetoric.
The clash builds on years of tension between Trump and Kimmel, who has frequently mocked the president on his show, while Trump has repeatedly blasted the host on social media and in public remarks.
Kimmel faced harsh backlash over comments about murdered conservative leader Charlie Kirk, leading to a brief suspension and advertiser pressure on ABC.
Amid Saturday's shooting at the Hilton, the Trumps and other top officials were moved to secure locations, and the event was ultimately cut short.
In the days since, Trump and allies have pointed to the incident as evidence of escalating political rhetoric, with the president linking that argument to his criticism of Kimmel.
ABC has not announced any disciplinary action against the late-night host.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.