US first lady Melania Trump said Monday it was time for ABC to “take a stand” on Jimmy Kimmel after a monologue the late-night talk show host gave ahead of a shooting near a gathering of journalists and politicians over the weekend.
“Enough is enough. It’s time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC management enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?” she said in a post on X.
Kimmel said in a parody of The White House Correspondents Dinner that aired last week before the actual event: “Mrs. Trump, you have the glow of an expectant widow.”
President Donald Trump and the first lady were rushed out of the dinner on Saturday after a shooting in the lobby of the Washington Hilton. A suspect identified as Cole Allen charged through a checkpoint and fired at Secret Service agents, wounding one, before being subdued and arrested.
Disney and ABC did not immediately comment.
In September, the head of the Federal Communications Commission pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air. ABC briefly suspended Kimmel’s show that month because of comments he made about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Hours before the suspension, FCC chief Brendan Carr warned that local broadcasters broadcasting Kimmel could face fines or loss of licenses, saying “it’s time for them to step up.” His comments drew backlash from the entertainment industry and politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who compared his threats to an organized crime boss.
In September, Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group briefly took Kimmel’s show off the air on their 70 ABC affiliate stations, which cover nearly a quarter of American households. Carr wants to make it easier for local broadcasters to pre-empt national programming.
