White House Calls for ABC to Fire Jimmy Kimmel Over Melania Trump Comment

White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X, describing Kimmel's remark as a "disgusting joke" and stating that the comedian "should be shunned for the rest of his life." Cheung also said ABC needs to fire him immediately, repeating a demand from President Donald Trump.

The suspect faces three charges, including attempting to assassinate the president of the United States. He stated it was not a call to assassination and added that the country should reject hateful and violent rhetoric. The monologue had received more than 2.2 million views on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" YouTube channel by April 28, 2026.

, have not issued public statements on the matter and did not respond to requests for comment, according to NBC News. The current criticism occurs seven months after ABC suspended Kimmel's show following his comments on the political motivations of the individual accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.

During that earlier incident, Nexstar and Sinclair, owners of 70 ABC affiliates, removed the show from air for nine days. The companies did not respond to inquiries about potential pre-emption this time. The source indicated the action stems from a year-long investigation into Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, with the recent controversy over Kimmel's comments speeding up the process.