Joe Rogan calls outrage over Kimmel's Melania joke 'ridiculous', says 'nobody cared before attack'

AUSTIN, TEXAS: What began as a late-night comedy jab has now turned into a larger political fight and podcast giant Joe Rogan is not buying the backlash.

During an episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience' that premiered Friday, May 1, Rogan weighed in on the criticism surrounding Jimmy Kimmel and the joke he made about First Lady Melania Trump days before the attempted attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Joe Rogan dismisses outrage against Jimmy Kimmel

Rogan rejected the backlash over Jimmy Kimmel's joke and questioned the timing of it.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said, before laying out the timeline as he sees it. “He said that joke on Thursday. On Friday, nobody cared. No one cared on Saturday until Saturday night when the assassination attempt happened, and then all of a sudden, everyone’s blaming Kimmel.”

His comments centered on what he argued was a clear shift in public reaction only after the shooting made national headlines.

According to Rogan, the criticism directed at Kimmel isn't driven by the joke itself, but by the events that followed.

Kimmel’s original remark aired days before the Washington incident during a comedy segment on his late-night show.

The remark referenced Melania Trump as 'an expectant widow' in a satirical roast-style bit, but it did not initially dominate the news cycle or trigger major political fallout.

That changed after an armed suspect allegedly attempted to breach security at the Washington Hilton while President Donald Trump, senior administration officials, journalists, and political guests were attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Trump family turns focus toward Jimmy Kimmel

In the days after the incident, both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly criticized Kimmel.

Melania described the comedian’s remarks as harmful and divisive, while Trump used social media to question Kimmel’s role in contributing to a toxic political environment.

He later renewed calls for Kimmel to be removed from ABC Network, saying, “It better be soon.”

The late-night host addressed the controversy on-air, saying the original remark was intended as satire and was never meant to encourage violence or be taken literally.

The controversy has since expanded beyond television.

The Federal Communications Commission has reportedly moved forward with an early review involving broadcast licenses connected to The Walt Disney Company, ABC’s parent company, a development that has drawn criticism from media watchdogs and First Amendment advocates.

ABC, however, is reportedly standing by Kimmel and continuing production of his show as normal.