First Lady Melania Trump calls on ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel

NEW YORK (CBS, KYMA) - First Lady Melania Trump is calling for ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke he made last week, comparing her to "an expectant widow."

The long-standing feud between President Donald Trump and comedian Jimmy Kimmel was reignited on social media by First Lady Melania Trump.

In a post on X Monday, she wrote, "People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes every evening to spread hate," adding "It's time for ABC to take a stand."

It came after a joke Kimmel made last Thursday, where he said, "And of course, our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at [her]...so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow."

It was a sketch pretending Kimmel was speaking at the upcoming White House Correspondents Dinner, and aired days before the real dinner, where President Trump and the first lady were rushed off stage due to the threat of a gunman.

On social media, the president said "Jimmy Kimmel should be fired immediately by Disney and ABC."

On Monday night, Kimmel reacted saying, "Melania Trump saying I should be fired because of a joke I made...It was a very light-roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80 and she's younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination. And they know that. I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence."

Last year, Kimmel was briefly taken off the air by ABC over controversy surrounding his comments after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move sparked some protests about free speech.

This new dust-up is again dividing viewers.

"They would be very smart to get this guy off the air," said Todd Doten, a street vendor on Hollywood Boulevard.

"If he gets fired, that's going to take away freedom of speech for a lot of comedians," said Dee Thompson from North Carolina.

Disney and ABC have not commented.

Kimmel is currently the longest-tenured host in late night television. Last year, he reportedly re-signed with ABC to stay on the air through May 2027.