Jimmy Kimmel’s future at ABC is drawing renewed attention after a fresh political backlash over a joke about Melania Trump. Months after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly pulled from the air following controversy over a Charlie Kirk-related joke, the late-night host is again facing pressure from Donald Trump and Melania Trump. The couple publicly criticized Kimmel after he made comments about the first lady on his show, with Donald Trump calling for ABC and Disney to fire him. Despite the uproar, the show has not been canceled, and ABC has not issued a public response.
The controversy began on April 23, 2026, when Kimmel performed a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner-style bit and joked about Melania Trump and her husband. He said the first lady had “a glow like an expectant widow” and then mocked Donald Trump’s past comparisons of himself to Jesus Christ. The joke quickly circulated online and triggered a strong reaction from the Trump family.
On April 30, 2026, Donald Trump escalated his criticism in a Truth Social post, accusing ABC of protecting Kimmel and demanding that the comedian be removed from the network. He described Kimmel as unfunny and claimed viewers were angry, insisting the firing should happen soon. Melania Trump also joined the criticism, calling Kimmel a “coward” and accusing him of spreading hate and using his platform to divide the country.
In her statement on X, Melania argued that Kimmel’s remarks about her family were not comedy but part of a corrosive political climate. She said the host should not be given the chance to enter Americans’ homes each night “to spread hate” and urged ABC leadership to “take a stand.” Her comments were made shortly after the April 25 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where a suspected gunman opened fire, further intensifying the public debate around the timing and tone of Kimmel’s joke.
Trump also claimed Kimmel used a fake video involving Melania and Barron Trump, saying the clip showed them as if they were in the studio when they were not. He linked Kimmel’s joke to the broader political atmosphere and described it as a “despicable call to violence.” Kimmel responded on April 27, defending the remark as a light roast joke and saying he was simply poking fun at Trump’s age and the age difference between the president and his wife.
As speculation grew about whether ABC might act, Kimmel addressed the uncertainty in a May 2026 interview with Vulture. He said he did not know what the network would decide but noted that he still had a year left on his contract, which was the agreement he had made. He did not suggest that the show was ending soon, but he acknowledged the situation was unusual.
Adding to the tension, the FCC on April 28 ordered Disney’s ABC stations to apply for early renewal of their broadcast licenses by May 28, citing an investigation into the company’s DEI practices. For now, however, Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains on the air, and there has been no official confirmation that ABC plans to cancel the show.
