Jimmy Kimmel Called Melania Trump an 'Expectant Widow' Before Shooting

A quip from late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel's parody of a White House Correspondents' Dinner monologue before the actual event has raised eyebrows and sparked right-wing outrage.

On April 23, during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host delivered a scathing "alternative" White House Correspondents' Dinner monologue, during which he told First Lady Melania Trump, "Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow."

Kimmel performed the mock set after President Donald Trump replaced the traditional comedian at the actual dinner with mentalist Oz Pearlman.

Referring to her April 26 birthday, on which she turned 56, he joked that she would celebrate by looking out a window and whispering, "What have I done?"

He roasted her critically panned documentary, calling it the "world’s first motionless picture" after citing a low score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jimmy opened the set by joking he hadn't seen "this much black" since the "Trump-Epstein files.”

He also mocked the president's attendance at the event, calling him a "trembling drama queen who's scared of comedy," because Donald chose to have a mentalist perform instead of a traditional comedian.

He also targeted Vice President J.D. Vance, joking that his wife had to "peel him off the couch," and mocked the POTUS' sons and advisors, like the much-lambasted deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

Fox News and right-wingers seized on that joke following the cancelation of the event after a gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, opened fire at the Washington Hilton, allegedly in a targeted attack on the president and his cabinet.

The joke became a flashpoint for intense criticism after a shooting incident occurred at the actual Washington Hilton dinner two days later, on Saturday, April 25.

Critics labeled Jimmyl's "widow" remark as "vile," "disgusting," and "incitement" in light of the attempted violence.

Others knocked the far-right outrage as feigned and hypocritical, with one noting, “Holy snowflake comments, I thought comedy was legal again?”

“With a 79-year-old sugar daddy and the most hated man on the planet as her husband, this was easily predictable. Still, it was a funny bit. Keep it coming, Jimmy!" wrote another.

"Another astute social media user explained, “It's a joke about Donald's age. Calm down. Have some humor... it could be a joke about the glow of an actual widow there in the crowd. Ifykyk”

Another compared the far-right outrage to something they railed about several years ago, saying, “It's actually amazing reading the comments, the republicans really did just become the new left. They look like cancel culture in 2020, but in 2026. Look how mad they are over a joke."

While Jimmy hasn’t commented since the shooting, rumors swirl that his show may be taken off the air once again, even though his joke came before the event.

The first lady took to X to express her own outrage at Jimmy's comedy, saying, “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”

FLOTUS' post was quickly radioed by critics who blasted her for her hypocrisy, with many saying, “Start with your husband."

"MAGA are the weakest, most thin-skinned, fragile teacups on Earth, " wrote podcaster Wajahat Ali.