Fact Check: Did Coca-Cola and Skechers drop with Jimmy Kimmel after Trump demanded ABC fire him?

WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump reportedly called for Jimmy Kimmel’s firing, a viral claim spread online alleging that Coca-Cola and Skechers had dropped the late-night host as a sponsor.

The controversy stems from Kimmel’s recent “expectant widow” joke referencing Melania Trump’s appearance and the couple’s age gap. Here’s a fact check of the claim.

Claim: Coca-Cola and Skechers dropped Jimmy Kimmel as a sponsor

According to a post shared on X by user @mcafeenew, Coca-Cola and Skechers allegedly dropped Jimmy Kimmel as a sponsor after President Trump and Melania Trump demanded that ABC fire him over his recent “expectant widow” joke.

The post began with a sensational claim: “JIMMY KIMMEL JUST GOT HIS A** HANDED TO HIM — COCA-COLA AND SKECHERS DUMP THE SMUG, LOW-BROW HACK AFTER THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY DEMANDED HE BE FIRED!”

It further alleged that Kimmel’s comments had cost him significant advertising revenue, stating, “The late-night loser’s hateful, Trump-deranged antics finally cost him tens of millions in ad money as two of his biggest sponsors bailed on ‘moral and ethical grounds.’”

The post also attributed a quote to Coca-Cola’s CEO: “I always found him a little bit low-brow.” It went on to urge action against Kimmel, adding, “Disney better wake the f**k up and fire this unfunny clown before the entire ABC network gets boycotted into oblivion.”

As the claim spread online, several users questioned its authenticity, with one asking, “Is this true?”

Others appeared to believe the claim, with one writing, “I applaud Coca-Cola and sketchers! Who are the other sponsors? As concerned citizens we should boycott the remaining sponsors, call them out for supporting this type of behavior. You can disagree with the man, but you have to respect the Office!"

Fact Check: No official reports say Coca-Cola or Skechers dropped Jimmy Kimmel as a sponsor

The claim in the X post is false. There is no credible evidence that Coca-Cola or Skechers dropped Jimmy Kimmel as a sponsor following calls from President Trump and first lady Melania Trump to have ABC fire him over the “expectant widow” joke.

The controversy stems from a sketch aired on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on April 23, 2026, where Kimmel, parodying the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Dinner, said of Melania Trump: “Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.” 

He later clarified that the comment was intended as a light roast about the Trumps’ age difference and was not meant as a call for violence. Around the same period, the actual White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026, was disrupted by a security incident involving a suspect who was stopped by the Secret Service, an event some reports described in connection with broader threats against Trump. 

Melania Trump criticized Kimmel’s joke as “hateful and violent rhetoric,” and President Trump echoed that view on Truth Social, calling it “far beyond the pale,” a “despicable call to violence,” and urging ABC and Disney to remove Kimmel. 

In response, Kimmel defended the joke as non-violent political humor and did not apologize during his April 28 monologue. ABC and Disney have not taken action against him.

Despite the online claims, no credible news organization has reported that Coca-Cola or Skechers ended any sponsorship or advertising relationship with Kimmel in response to the incident.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.