He’s doing it again: Donald Trump launched another broadside at Jimmy Kimmel, pressuring ABC to cancel the comedian’s late night talk show.
“When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television?” he wrote. “People are angry. It better be soon!!!”
ABC has thus far remained silent on the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week.
While its unclear what spurred Trump’s latest attack, Kimmel has continued going after the president in his monologues in the wake of Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s efforts on Monday to link a shooting at Saturday’s White House Corespondents’ Dinner to a joke that Kimmel told the previous week.
On Wednesday’s show, Kimmel joked that he’s helped bring the president and the first lady closer. “Our first couple, Donald and Melania, lately have seemed closer than ever, and I like to think I played a part in that,” he said.
Kimmel then showed a video of the duo standing with King Charles and Queen Camilla, and Melania pulled her hand away from Trump’s. The president then poked her hand and she held his hand again.
“Considering the week I’ve had with the first couple, I’m just going to say that is a completely normal way to interact for two people who are very much in love,” Kimmel cracked. “Maybe that’s why his hands are all bruised, from Melania swatting them away.”
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it was reviewing ABC’s broadcast licenses. The FCC said Disney’s diversity politics may have violated anti-discrimination rules. But given FCC chair Brendan Carr’s previously attack on ABC affiliates over a Kimmel joke last year, the timing certainly suggested the Trump administration was looking to punish the network over Kimmel.
Despite Trump’s claim that “people are angry” at Kimmel, a perhaps surprising number of right-wing names have come out in support of Kimmel. Podcaster Ben Shapiro said to fire Kimmel for his mild “expectant widow” joke would be “like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.” While Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the FCC was overstepping, telling Punchbowl News, “It is not government’s job to censor speech, and I do not believe the FCC should operate as the speech police.”
The drama follows Donald and Melania Trump first calling for the show to be axed on Monday. “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” the first lady wrote. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy—his words are corrosive and deepen 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 behavior at the expense of our community.”
In a Jimmy Kimmel Live! skit last Thursday, Kimmel read jokes that he would have told if he had been asked to host the WHCD. One was, “Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.” In another, he said that if he bruised Trump’s ego, “It will only make your hands look less disgusting.”
