Kimmel Pushes Back After Trump Family Demands Firing Over Joke

Jimmy Kimmel defended a joke about Melania Trump — described by her husband and herself as favoring violence — by saying it was a light roast about age and not a call to assassination. He apologized for any distress, acknowledged the First Lady’s stress following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and urged a broader rejection of hateful or violent rhetoric while defending free speech. The Trumps called on ABC to fire him, a demand Kimmel responded to on his show and in public statements, arguing the joke was not intended to provoke violence and offering to discuss the issue with the president.