President Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel seem to have more than just a difference of opinion.
In April 2026, the president of the United States and Melania Trump made headlines when they called for ABC to fire Kimmel after the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host made a joke about the first lady, claiming she had a “glow” like an “expectant widow.”
Calls for Kimmel’s firing by the president and first lady came days after a 31-year-old gunman rushed a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. (Kimmel made the controversial joke before the shooting.) One Secret Service agent was shot during the incident, but survived thanks to his ballistic vest.
The alleged shooter was charged with multiple crimes, including attempting to assassinate the president.
Kimmel appeared unbothered by the demands when he addressed the online chatter on an episode of his late-night show.
“Sometimes you wake up in the morning and the first lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired from your job,” he said on the April 27, 2026, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! “We’ve all been there, right?” He later claimed his joke was about the president and first lady’s age-gap romance.
Ultimately, Donald and Kimmel’s feud goes way beyond one joke. Keep reading to learn more about the pair’s complicated relationship:
March 2024
In the middle of the 2024 Oscars, Donald took to his social media platform Truth Social to slam Kimmel’s hosting skills.
“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be,” he wrote. “Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous.”
Kimmel read a portion of the review during the live show, adding, “Thank you for watching. I’m surprised you’re still up, isn’t it past your jail time?”
July 2025
After news broke that Stephen Colbert’s late-night show was being canceled, Donald celebrated the news by sharing which hosts he wants to see get the boot next.
“The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented late-night sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, [Jimmy] Fallon will be gone,” Donald said via Truth Social. “These are people with absolutely no talent, who were paid millions of dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be great television. It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”
Kimmel responded on Instagram, writing, “I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret.”
September 2025
ABC temporarily suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2025 following Kimmel’s controversial jokes about Charlie Kirk‘s death.
“Great news for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is cancelled,” the president posted on Truth Social in response. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
Kimmel’s show, however, was never canceled by ABC. In fact, the host returned to the late-night stage one week later and used his opening monologue to champion free speech and the First Amendment.
April 2026
During the April 23 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel parodied the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner days before it was scheduled to occur in Washington, D.C.
The dinner, usually hosted by a comedian, serves as a comedic “roast” of sorts while celebrating the right to free speech.
“Our first lady Melania is here,” Kimmel said when pretending to be the host of the evening. “So beautiful, Mrs. Trump you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
Days later, a gunman opened fire outside the Washington Hilton Hotel’s ballroom while the event took place. The shooter was safely apprehended after a Secret Service agent was shot. All dinner attendees, including Donald and Melania, were safe. A manifesto written by the alleged shooter indicated that he traveled to Washington, D.C. from his home state of California to harm the president and top members of his cabinet.
Both Donald and Melania slammed Kimmel’s joke after the dinner and demanded that ABC fire him. Kimmel, however, stayed on the air and explained his joke.
“It obviously was a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they’re together. It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am,” he said. “It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination, and they know that. I’ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence, but I understand that the first lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house.”
Kimmel added, “I am sorry that you, and the president and everyone in that room went through that. I really am. Just because no-one got killed doesn’t mean it was not traumatic and scary. We should come together and be best.”
