What To Know
- Gayle King defended Jimmy Kimmel, noting that his joke about Melania Trump was not a call for violence against the president.
- Melania Trump publicly condemned Kimmel’s remarks, calling them hateful and urging ABC to fire him.
- Kimmel clarified that his comment was a lighthearted roast about the Trumps’ age difference.
CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King has come to the defense of Jimmy Kimmel, saying the late-night host is “not some crazy person who would wish the president to be killed.”
King made the comments on Tuesday (April 28) while speaking with CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Nancy Cordes. During the discussion, Cordes noted that Kimmel’s joke about Melania Trump having “the glow of an expectant widow” was made days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting on Saturday (April 25).
“Nancy, I’m glad you put it in context that that joke was made before the Correspondents’ Dinner,” King said. “Jimmy Kimmel is not some crazy person who would wish the president to be killed. That’s… he just would not do that.”
Kimmel made the quip during last Thursday’s (April 23) Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he performed an alternative White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner roast. As he pointed out, the dinner is traditionally hosted by a comedian who pokes fun at the president and luminaries; however, this year’s event was hosted by mentalist Oz Pearlman.
“Our First Lady Melania is here. Look at her, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Kimmel joked in the segment.
Following the shooting on Saturday, certain MAGA supporters twisted Kimmel’s words to make it seem like he was mocking the situation or calling for Trump’s assassination.
On Monday (April 27), Melania tweeted, “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.”
She continued, “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.”
Kimmel defended his comments on Monday’s show, explaining it was “obviously a joke about their age difference… 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 in particular,” the late-night host added.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, ABC
CBS Mornings, Weekdays, 7am, CBS
