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Jimmy Kimmel won't be fired for Melania ‘widow’ remark, ABC takes final call
Jimmy Kimmel might have escaped any major call from ABC even as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania demanded his firing
Jimmy Kimmel might have escaped any major call from ABC even as President Donald Trump and first lady Melania demanded his firing. The network has taken a call days after the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, it was revealed. The television host was under fire over his controversial ‘expectant widow’ joke for Melania just before the president and several cabinet officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton as shots were fired.
Jimmy Kimmel responds to Melania, Donald Trump's criticism
During his Monday night monologue, Kimmel reacted to the fire calls. “You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and the first lady puts out a statement demanding you be fired from your job? We've all been there, right?” he said.
Read More: Jimmy Kimmel firing row: When Trump joked about his own death; ‘should be fired for that’
The 58-year-old explained that his joke was a part of his monologue during a mock WHCD, adding it was a ‘light roast’.
"There was no big reaction to it until this morning, when I greeted the day facing yet another Twitter vomit storm and a call to fire me from our first lady.Obviously, it 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. 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, in particular," he noted.
"But I understand that the first lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house. And also, I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject. I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it. Donald Trump is allowed to say whatever he wants to say, as are you and as am I. Because under the First Amendment, we have, as Americans, a right to free speech."
Read More: Will Disney lose its licenses over Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania 'widow' joke? FCC review explained
Will ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel?
A PageSix report stated that ABC has finally taken a decision. According to the publication, the network does not ‘plan to suspend him, fire him or cancel the show. It’s back to taping per usual. They’re moving on’.
Trump's own ‘death’ joke
During his monologue on April 28, Kimmel mocked Trump, showing a clip of the president welcoming King Charles. The 79-year-old said that his parents were married for 63 years and telling Melania that he will not live long enough to surpass that.
"That's a record we won't be able to match, darling," Trump said.
Kimmel pointed out at the ‘hypocrisy’. "Wait a minute. Did he just make a joke about his death?" he asked. "He should be fired for that! Only Donald Trump would demand I be fired for making a joke about his old age, and then a day later, go out and make a joke about his own old age!"
Meanwhile, Trump slammed the late night host on Truth Social. "Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking," wrote Trump. "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," he wrote.
