George Clooney Defends Jimmy Kimmel After Widow Joke: 'The Rhetoric Is a Little Too Heated' 

Actor George Clooney has come to the defense of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who is once again under fire because of a Melania Trump joke he made days before the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The backlash centers on a skit from Jimmy Kimmel Live! that aired on Thursday, April 23. In the segment, Kimmel staged an "alternative" monologue for the WHCD and joked that Melania had a "glow like an expectant widow.”

The joke drew heavy criticism because two days later, a shooting incident occurred outside the actual WHCD in Washington, D.C., leading to the event's cancelation.

President Donald Trump labeled the joke a "despicable call to violence" and pressured ABC/Disney to terminate Jimmy.

The FLOTUS described Jimmy's words as "corrosive" and accused him of spreading hate.

George defended Jimmy, arguing that the backlash stemmed from taking comedy out of context, and urged a reduction in political tensions.

"Jimmy’s a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn’t mean shots should be fired,” the actor told Variety at the 51st Chaplin Award Gala, where he was honored for his contributions to cinema. “She was making a joke. Fair enough. You look at that side and go, ’Well, jokes are jokes.’ But the rhetoric is a little dangerous. And we’ve seen it a lot lately.”

George was referring to a quip made by the pregnant press secretary before the dinner, in which she was referring to jokes planned by the POTUS that she referred to as “shots fired.”

Reports were that Donald, who hired a joke writer, was planning to eviscerate the media that had been critical of him.

As the son of a journalist, George emphasized that the press should not have a cozy relationship with the government and must continue to hold those in power accountable.

“My father’s rule when we were growing up was to challenge people with more power,” the award-winning actor and vocal Trump critic, who took some heat of his own when he challenged former President Joe Biden’s fitness for office, said. “That’s always been our mantra. That’s what my sister and I believed, and what my mother and father believed in. It’s served us well. It’s gotten us in trouble, and that’s a good thing.”

“I always have faith in the press. I always believe in it. I’m the son of a journalist, you know?“ the Good Night, and Good Luck actor opined. “I also think that you’re not supposed to have a good relationship with government. You’re supposed to be questioning them — the people that I support- the Democrats. So, I’m a Democrat. I make no apologies for it. The people that I support — Bill Clinton, Barack Obama — they didn’t enjoy getting chased down by reporters. People in power don’t like to have to answer all the questions in the world. That’s fair. They shouldn’t enjoy it. And the reporters should make sure that they hold people’s feet to the fire. That’s the rules. That’s what Jefferson talked about in 1787. We need to be able to have a free and fair press.”

The Jay Kelly actor also referenced the president's recent violent rhetoric and called for things to cool down.

"When one side is calling anyone they disagree with traitors to the country, which is a charge that’s punishable by death, just because they don’t agree with someone, I think the rhetoric is a little too heated," he said.