Jimmy Kimmel’s timing couldn’t be worse, as just days before the White House Correspondents' Dinner was rocked by a shocking incident over the weekend, the late-night host aired a biting parody monologue.
Kimmel took aim at President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s relationship in a moment that was meant to be satire.
The joke has since stirred controversy online, with critics arguing that it feels unsettlingly ill-timed in light of the events that followed at the high-profile gathering.
Highlights
- Jimmy Kimmel’s “sick” joke about Melania Trump is facing intense backlash after airing just 48 hours before the White House Correspondents' Dinner incident.
- As criticism explodes online, viewers and public figures are calling out not just Kimmel but also major networks for allegedly allowing “dangerous rhetoric” on air.
- Political commentators, including Larry O’Connor and Link Lauren, have condemned the comedian as a “broken man.”
“Nothing brilliant about that joke at all. It was sick,” one user expressed.
Jimmy Kimmel took an eerie jab at Donald Trump and Melania Trump’s relationship in a parody monologue last week
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On Saturday, April 25, the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD) was held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
Organized by the White House Correspondents' Association, this year’s event marked the first time Donald Trump attended the dinner as a sitting president, having reportedly boycotted it during his first term and skipped it again in 2025.
However, the high-profile gathering was disrupted around 8:36 p.m., when a lone armed assailant allegedly attempted to breach a security checkpoint in the hotel lobby, just outside the main ballroom.
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Armed with multiple weapons, including knives and firearms, the suspect, reportedly identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher and computer programmer from California, opened fire.
Secret Service agents immediately rushed to the main stage and successfully evacuated President Trump, Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials.
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Meanwhile, in videos captured during the evacuation, attendees, including senior Cabinet members and journalists, were seen taking cover under tables as several gu**hots echoed through the hall.
Shortly after news of the incident broke, Kimmel was heavily criticized online by viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! over a joke he made during the April 23 episode.
Kimmel called the First Lady an “expectant widow” just days prior to the attempted attack on Trump and other government officials
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Hosting an “alternative” White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD) on his show, Kimmel referred to Melania as an “expectant widow,” saying, “Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
He continued, “You know, Melania's birthday is on Sunday. She’s planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does, looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’”
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Given the timing of the parody and the events at the dinner, critics took to social media to slam not only Kimmel but also ABC and The Walt Disney Company, which airs the show.
One user wrote, “@ABC @Disney this is a complete and utter disgrace. I just cancelled my subscription. I encourage my followers, if you haven't already to do the same. Disney has failed America.”
Another netizen said, “I will never watch this horrible person.. shame on you!”
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“Kimmel is mentally unstable. I am not shocked that Disney allows his mental illness to be on full display,” a third added harshly.
One comment read, “Kimmel is actually worse than the other ‘comedians.’ You can see the seething hatred on his face toward Trump and anyone that supports him…”
One netizen fumed online, “Jimmy Kimmel… should be fired! He basically made a threat! Did [he] know the sh**ter was going to be there…”
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“This is completely outrageous no matter what side of the political aisle you are on,” one netizen fumed, while another added, “How evil do you have to be to say something like that… Pretty f**king evil!”
“It's not even inherently funny. You have to be deranged to laugh at that.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by several public figures, including Larry O’Connor, a conservative media personality and editor of Townhall, and Link Lauren, a Gen Z political commentator and TikTok influencer.
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Larry described Kimmel as a “broken man” and called on ABC and The Walt Disney Company to hold him accountable for the comments.
Meanwhile, Link wrote in a social media statement, “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.”
The armed suspect reportedly wrote in a note to his family, “I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done”
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“After the White House Correspondents' Dinner and what transpired with President Trump, now they suddenly want to act shocked.”
Following the attack, the suspect was taken into custody. According to investigators, Cole had sent a note to family members just 10 minutes before the incident.
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As reported by NBC News, parts of the message read, “I don’t expect forgiveness. Again, my sincere apologies.”
Elsewhere, he allegedly wrote, “Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.”
Allen added, “I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done.”
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He is currently facing federal charges, and his first court appearance is scheduled for today, April 27, at the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C.
Allen has been charged with a**ault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted homicide of a federal officer, which are expected to be included in the formal arraignment.
Since the Correspondents' Dinner was abruptly halted, Trump announced that a “bigger and better” version of the event will be rescheduled within 30 days.
However, a fixed date has not yet been publicly announced.
“Threating a mans wife is not a bright move... Trump should dismantle this man top to bottom. No limits,” wrote one user
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