Trump Demands ABC Fire Jimmy Kimmel Over Assassination Joke

Donald Trump is once again calling on ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel.

The plea to ABC comes just days after Kimmel made a joke on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thursday, about the president's wife, Melania Trump. During Kimmel's monologue, he used archival footage to insinuate that Melania and her son, Barron Trump, were at Thursday's taping, telling the first lady she had "a glow like an expectant widow." While the joke didn't garner much attention at the time, it's now facing the ire of both Donald and Melania following Saturday's assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Kimmel's skit saw him giving his own monologue to the annual dinner, using viral clips and reaction shots from the first lady, Trump, and others.

While no one was injured, the shooting saw Trump and the first lady, and other administration officials rushed off the dais in the aftermath, as attendees ducked on the floor or under tables until it was clear, bringing the event to a terrifying halt. The suspect, Cole Allen, appeared in court on Monday, where he was charged with attempting to assassinate the president and other gun-related charges. Leading up to the shooting, Allen had reportedly left a manifesto, which was shared in full by The New York Post, in which he spoke about targeting Trump administration officials and shared his motivations for the attack.

Trump addressed Kimmel's joke in a post on his Truth Social account Monday, calling the comedian and TV host "in no way funny," citing the quip and Kimmel's "terrible television ratings" and his alleged "call to violence" Thursday as a reason for ABC to give him the ax.

Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be. He then stated, "Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow." A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel's despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.

The first lady also spoke out against Kimmel on Monday, calling him a "coward," and asking the network to "take a stand" against him.

The call to take Kimmel and his show off the air comes just months after he made comments about the response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. After gaining criticism from the right and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, ABC ultimately pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely, a move that upset the left and garnered backlash from members of the media in general. A few days later, after several talks and network meetings, the series was reinstated, and Kimmel returned to the airwaves.

Neither Jimmy Kimmel nor ABC has yet to comment on the matter.