Melania Trump Issues Rare and Scathing Rebuke of 'Coward' Jimmy Kimmel, Urging ABC to 'Take a Stand' Against Him

Brenton BlanchetMon, April 27, 2026 at 3:52 PM UTC

0

Melania Trump; Jimmy KimmelCredit: SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty; Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty -

Melania Trump called on ABC to take action against Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The first lady offered a rare rebuke of the late-night host on Monday, April 27

"Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country," she claimed in an X post

Melania Trump is airing out her frustrations over Jimmy Kimmel.

The first lady, 56, shared a rare statement on her X account Monday, April 27, calling for ABC to "take a stand" against the late-night host, 58, over what she claims is "hateful and violent rhetoric" on his show.

"Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America," Melania wrote. "People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate."

Melania called Kimmel a "coward," writing that he "hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect" him. "Enough is enough," she wrote. "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."

It wasn't immediately clear what monologue the first lady was referring to in her post. PEOPLE has reached out to reps for the White House for more information and reps for Kimmel and ABC for comment.

Jimmy KimmelCredit: Disney/Randy Holmes

On the Thursday, April 23, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host offered an "alternative" White House Correspondents' Dinner monologue. The clip aired days before a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, April 25.

During the segment on Friday, Kimmel roasted President Donald Trump and poked fun at Melania. "So beautiful, Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expected widow," he said in the bit.

Advertisement

"You know, Melania's birthday is on Sunday," Kimmel also said. "That's right. She's planning to celebrate at home, the same way she always does. Looking out a window and whispering, 'What have I done?'"

Kimmel then called the first lady a "movie star," referring to her Brett Ratner documentary, Melania. "Her documentary had a score of 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a website named after her husband's testicles," he said. "I want to congratulate you, madam first lady, on your huge accomplishment: The world's first motionless picture."

"Before we go any further, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania," Kimmel later said. "That was my impression of Jeffrey Epstein. Pretty good, right?" (Melania has denied reports that Epstein first introduced her to Trump.)

The Epstein dig comes after Melania went on live TV to make a rare statement about Epstein, as she said she had "never been friends" with him. During his Thursday, April 9, monologue, Kimmel questioned why Melania decided to share her comments after the president, 79, "spent the past six weeks trying to bomb this Epstein story out of the headlines."

The first lady's latest demands for ABC come months after Kimmel’s talk show was "indefinitely" pulled from the air on Sept. 17 after comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s death in his opening monologue on Sept. 15.

Disney and ABC's decision to pull Kimmel's show came after Nexstar and Sinclair said they would preempt airings of Jimmy Kimmel Live! from ABC affiliates across the country. That decision came shortly after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened to pursue action against the network over its criticism of Trump.

Kimmel made his return to the airwaves six days later. Trump was less than enthusiastic, calling ABC "fake news" and claiming the White House was told "that his show was cancelled."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”