“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,” Kimmel said. “I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”
The comedian played a clip of a CBS News’ 60 Minutes Sunday interview in which Trump called senior correspondent Norah O’Donnell “a disgrace” for reading an excerpt from the alleged gunman’s writings and seeking a response.
The issue poses an early test for Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took the reins last month.
“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behaviour at the expense of our community,” Melania Trump said in a post on X. “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
Donald Trump, who previously called for Kimmel to be removed from the air, said the comedian’s joke was “something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
Kimmel expressed sympathy for Melania Trump, and those who attended Saturday’s event, for enduring the traumatic incident. But he rejected the notion that a joke, delivered three days earlier, “had any effect on anything that happened.”
Reaction elsewhere to the remarks was mixed.
“Disney and ABC are extremely lucky that Trump wasn’t assassinated on Saturday two days after Jimmy Kimmel made the joke about an ‘expectant widow,'” said Todd Doten, 57, a street vendor on Hollywood Boulevard.
“If that had happened, there would be a backlash against them the likes (of which) they’ve never seen before.”
Dee Thompson, a 64-year-old from North Carolina, worried about the free speech risks if Kimmel should lose his job.
“They’re going to take away freedom of speech for a lot of comedians, you know,” Thompson added.