Melania Trump urges ABC to ‘take a stand’ against Jimmy Kimmel over sketch

By Lauren Del Fabbro, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

First Lady Melania Trump has called for US network ABC to “take a stand” against US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for his comments made during a White House Correspondents’ Dinner sketch.

A gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night. Days before the incident, Kimmel did a sketch about the dinner on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he joked that Melania had a “glow like an expectant widow”.

During the sketch, which aired in the US on Thursday, Kimmel said: “In the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the house? I mean, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them, too.

“I get why you think you’re Jesus. This guy, every time he walks into a room, people say, ‘Christ, he’s back’.”

He later joked: “Our first lady, Melania, is here. So beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

Melania responded to the sketch in a post shared on X on Monday and described the talk show host as a “coward”.

Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.

People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to…

— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 27, 2026

She said: “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country.

“His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.

“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.

“A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.

“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behaviour at the expense of our community.”

In September, the late-night presenter was taken off the air and suspended indefinitely following comments he made on the show following the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, an ally of US President Donald Trump.

The suspension was met with criticism from the public, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and political figures, towards the US administration for infringing on their freedom of speech and free press, leading to Kimmel’s return five days later.

ABC and Kimmel have been contacted for comment.