Jimmy Kimmel Lectures Melania Trump, Repeats ‘Expectant Widow’ Joke He Says was About ‘Age Difference’

ABC’s late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, on Monday, repeated the joke he made last week saying First Lady Melania Trump looks like an “expectant widow.” Kimmel was defiant, defending himself after Mrs. Trump and President Donald Trump called on Disney to fire him following the assassination attempt on the president’s life at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

“There was no big reaction to it until this morning, when I faced yet another Twitter vomit storm and calls to fire me from our first lady,” Kimmel said on Monday during his opening monologue, saying the quip was about Melania Trump’s “age difference and the look of joy we see on her face” whenever she and Trump are together.

Kimmel’s ten-minute monologue meant aired just days before 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, charged through a metal detector and shot at a Secret Service agent before being tackled to the ground and taken into custody.

First Lady Melania Trump issued her own response to Kimmel’s comments writing: “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.” She added, “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” and said, “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”

President Trump piled on in his own statement, saying “I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Allen, a Kamala Harris donor, was charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump on Monday and is expected to face several federal charges.