Melania Trump criticized late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for a controversial joke, calling his comments “full of hate and violence” and urging his broadcast network ABC to take action.Kimmel sparked backlash last week when she made comments about the first lady during a monologue previewing the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Our First Lady Melania is here. Look at Melania, how beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you are radiant like a widow on the way,” he said.Days later, a shooting occurred at the same event in Washington, D.C., when a gunman opened fire near a security checkpoint. Based on the gunman’s 1,000-word manifesto, authorities believe members of the Trump administration, in addition to Kash Patel, may have been the intended targets. Donald Trump and Melania evacuated safely.In a post on X, Melania Trump condemned Kimmel’s comments and questioned why he continues to gain a platform.“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is designed to divide our country. His monologue about my family was not comedy — his words were corrosive and deepened the political pathology within America,” she wrote.She added: “People like Kimmel should not have the opportunity to come into our homes every night and spread hate.”She also criticized ABC for giving Kimmel a platform, adding: “Kimmel is a coward hiding behind ABC because he knows the network will continue to cover up to protect him.”She added: “Enough is enough. It’s time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership condone Kimmel’s brutal behavior at the expense of our community?”As the controversy intensified after the shooting, clips of Kimmel’s jokes resurfaced, sparking backlash online. Social media users accused the comedian of contributing to a toxic political atmosphere, with some calling for him to be taken off the air.Kimmel has faced similar criticism in the past. He briefly went off the air last September after making comments about the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, only to return a week later and admit that his comments may have been “inappropriate or unclear, or both.”After Saturday’s incident, Donald Trump called the incident “a pretty traumatic experience” for his wife.The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, is in custody and is expected to appear in court. His profession is a teacher.
