Jimmy Kimmel is facing trouble for a joke he made about Melania Trump and Donald Trump days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner took place in Washington, D.C. Although the 58-year-old comedian stood by his comment — since he made it before the violence took place — viewers have been rolling the tapes back to find out when exactly he quipped about Melania, 56, glowing like an “expectant widow.”
So, when exactly did Jimmy make the “widow” comment? Keep reading to get the full timeline of events.
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say About Melania Trump? His Full Joke
In a mock version of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Jimmy described the First Lady as having a “glow like an expectant widow,” then quipped about Donald’s image of himself as Jesus Christ.
“Our first lady is here. Mrs. Trump … you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Jimmy joked. “By the way, in the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the house — oh, I’m sorry. I mean, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them, too.”
When Did Jimmy Kimmel Make the ‘Widow’ Comment About Melania Trump?
Jimmy made the “expectant widow” comment about Melania on April 23 — two days before the Correspondents’ dinner event took place, when suspected shooter Cole Allen opened fire.
What Did Melania & Donald Trump Say in Response to Jimmy Kimmel?
Four days after Jimmy joked about her, Melania took to X to blast the late-night TV host as a “coward.”
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” Melania tweeted. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy – his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.”
The first lady continued by writing that others like Jimmy “shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” the first lady accused the comedian of hiding “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,” Melania concluded. “How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?”
The president, 79, followed his wife’s statement by calling Jimmy’s joke a “despicable call to violence” in a Truth Social post on April 27.
“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,” the Republican began in his post. “He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be. He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.’ A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. 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.”
