Kimmel Says His Joke Was Misconstrued, Trump Says ABC Should Fire Late-Night Host

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has responded to the backlash surrounding his joke about First Lady Melania Trump, clarifying that his comments were misconstrued and were not intended as a "call to assassination." Speaking on his show, Kimmel explained that his remark, made during a parody segment, was a lighthearted jab at the age difference between President Donald Trump and the First Lady. However, the joke drew sharp criticism from President Trump himself, who demanded Kimmel's immediate dismissal from ABC and its parent company, Disney. The controversy gained further traction after a shooting incident near a weekend gathering of journalists and politicians, although Kimmel insisted his joke, made days earlier, had no bearing on the event. Melania Trump described Kimmel's remarks as "corrosive" and indicative of a "political sickness" in the United States. This situation highlights the highly charged political atmosphere in the US, where even seemingly innocuous jokes can ignite fierce debate and political fallout. From our perspective at Asharq Al-Awsat, the incident underscores the deep divisions and the sensitivity surrounding political discourse, particularly when it involves public figures and potentially touches upon sensitive issues.

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It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80 and she's younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.