George Clooney defends Jimmy Kimmel after Trump calls for his firing over Melania ‘widow’ joke

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: George Clooney defended Jimmy Kimmel after President Donald Trump’s latest call for Disney and ABC to fire the late-night host. 

Trump blasted Kimmel on Monday, April 27, after the latter made a joke about First Lady Melania Trump having the glow of an “expectant widow” during a skit on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ just two days before the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was canceled after an attempted shooting incident.

George Clooney says ‘jokes are jokes’ as he backs Jimmy Kimmel

Clooney addressed Kimmel’s comments during an appearance at the 51st Chaplin Award Gala, which honored him for his contribution to cinema. The actor compared the outrage against Kimmel to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s “shots fired” remark, which went viral when actual shots rang out at the event. 

“Jimmy’s a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn’t mean shots should be fired,” Clooney said while speaking to Variety. “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.”

During the red carpet arrivals of the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Leavitt told Fox News “there will be some shots fired tonight in the room,” referring to potential jabs and exchanges expected from the event. While Leavitt’s comment went viral, it did not earn any MAGA backlash on social media. 

However, Kimmel drew the ire of Trump supporters for saying Melania had a glow of an “expectant widow” during a late-night skit. He was then called out by the President, the First Lady and the White House for appearing to push the narrative that Melania would have a “glow” upon her husband’s potential demise. Trump even dubbed the joke as a “despicable call to violence.”

Comparing both the situations, Clooney said, “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.”

George Clooney calls for ‘free and fair press’

In reference to Trump’s call for Kimmel’s firing, Clooney also highlighted the need to have a “free and fair press.” The ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ star said, “I always have faith in the press. I always believe in it. I’m the son of a journalist, you know?” 

“I also think that you’re not supposed to have a good relationship with government. You’re supposed to be questioning them,” he added. “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,” Clooney continued. 

“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,” he explained.

Trump calls for ‘immediate firing’ of Jimmy Kimmel

The President took to Truth Social to call out Kimmel over his joke. “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking,” Trump said. 

“He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren't, and never would be. He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,’” the President explained, in reference to the skit. 

“A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel's despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,” he concluded. 

Trump’s post came after Melania issued a statement of her own. She called out Kimmel for spreading “hateful and violent rhetoric” and claimed that the joke “intended to divide our country.” She also called the late-night host a “coward” and asked ABC to “take a stand” against him.