Melania Trump blasts Jimmy Kimmel over ‘expectant widow’ joke
US First Lady Melania Trump has lashed out at Jimmy Kimmel and told US broadcaster ABC to “take a stand” after the late-night talk show host said she had the look of a “waiting widow” in a monologue before a shooting in Washington.
“Enough is enough. It’s time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership allow Kimmel’s cruel behavior at the expense of our community,” the First Lady said in a post on X.
US President Donald Trump and the First Lady were rushed from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner following a shooting in the lobby of the Washington Hilton on Saturday night (US time).
Kimmel, in a parody of dinner A report published last week, before the actual event, said: “Mrs. Trump, you shine like a pregnant widow.”
Kimmel also implied that convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein introduced Trump and his wife; The first lady denied that claim in a rare address earlier this month.
Considering the assassination attempt at dinner two nights later, the jokes were not very pleasant. Disney and ABC did not immediately comment.
A suspect identified as Cole Allen passed through a checkpoint and fired at Secret Service agents, wounding one, before being subdued and arrested.
The First Lady later appeared alongside her husband as he briefed reporters at the White House on Saturday night (US time). He described the incident as “a pretty traumatic experience” for him.
Asked during an interview with CBS 60 Minutes Asked on Sunday if his wife was afraid, the president said: “I don’t want to say, and people don’t like to be told they are afraid, but certainly, I mean, who wouldn’t be afraid when you’re faced with a situation like this?”
In September, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air. ABC briefly suspended Kimmel’s show that month because of comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Hours before the suspension, FCC chairman Brendan Carr warned that local broadcasters airing Kimmel could face fines or loss of license and said “it’s time for them to step up.” His comments drew backlash from the entertainment industry and politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who likened his threats to those of an organized crime boss.
In September, Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group briefly pulled Kimmel’s show from the air in his 70s.
ABC-affiliated stations cover nearly a quarter of U.S. households. Carr wants to make it easier for local broadcasters to block national programmes.
In November, Trump criticized an ABC News reporter for asking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince about the killing of an assassin in 2018. Washington Post columnist and suggested that the commission should take action to revoke the broadcast licenses of Disney-owned ABC stations.
Reuters, Bloomberg
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