Megyn Kelly rips Trump’s ‘inappropriate’ calls to fire Jimmy Kimmel in stunning reversal

Kelly’s surprising defense of Kimmel came just a few days after she bashed Gayle King and George Clooney for defending the late-night show host
Megyn Kelly defended Jimmy Kimmel as President Trump called for him to be fired over jokes targeting Melania Trump (YouTube/Screengrab, Getty Images)
Megyn Kelly defended Jimmy Kimmel as President Trump called for him to be fired over jokes targeting Melania Trump (YouTube/Screengrab, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Megyn Kelly made a striking about-face amid the Jimmy Kimmel “widow” joke controversy, stepping in to defend the late-night host as President Donald Trump called for him to be fired over jokes targeting Melania Trump.

"It’s very inappropriate," the 55-year-old conservative pundit declared of Trump’s renewed attack on Kimmel on Thursday’s episode of ‘The Megyn Kelly Show.’

This came as the President repeated his call for ABC and Disney to fire Kimmel. “When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the lowest-rated shows on Television?” Trump fumed in a post.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Kimmel has been in hot water for a joke suggesting Melania looked like an “expectant widow” in a monologue that aired just two days before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The quip quickly resurfaced following the shooting, prompting calls from the President and First Lady for ABC to take action and fire him.

Megyn Kelly takes a stunning 360

Amid Trump’s renewed attack on Kimmel, Kelly, who previously said she believes Kimmel “would love to see Trump assassinated,” took a complete 180.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 13: Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 27th Annual Critics Choic
Jimmy Kimmel caused a row after suggesting Melania Trump looked like an ‘expectant widow’ (Getty Images)

The president of the United States should not be calling for any private company to fire any employee, especially over free speech,” she said during a recent interview with comedian Adam Carolla on her show.

“But I thought the joke was out of line, personally. I think you defended him on it,” she added.

“My only position on it is that ABC set the rules for how we engage in cancel culture. They have lots of examples. They’ve got many scalps on their wall.”

(@megynkelly/ YouTube)
Megyn Kelly said that Jimmy Kimmel’s joke about Melania was ‘out of line’ @megynkelly/ YouTube)

And if we’re going to go by ABC/Disney’s standards, then it’s not good news for Jimmy,” she said. “You know, the standard has to be applied even when the person offended is a Republican. But of course, ABC doesn’t really operate that way.”

Megyn Kelly says Kimmel would love to see Trump ‘assassinated’

Kelly’s surprising defense of Kimmel came just a few days after she bashed Gayle King and George Clooney for defending the late-night show host, saying he “would love to see Trump assassinated.”

“You can’t get inside of Jimmy Kimmel’s head. And you know what? If we’re going to play that game, I disagree with you strongly,” Kelly ranted.

“I actually think he would love it. I think he loathes him with a passion as bright as 10,000 suns. I do not give him the benefit of the doubt on that at all," she added.

Kelly, who publicly sparred with Clooney last Spring, tore into the Hollywood A-lister.

“You would think if you were a leftist, now might be a good time, if you like Kimmel and you hate Trump, to just keep your mouth shut. Don’t pile on because you could get dragged down, too. But the problem is George Clooney has a God complex,” she said.

Megyn Kelly’s fallout with Trump

It’s worth noting that Kelly, once in lockstep with Trump in bashing Kimmel, is now at odds with him, pushing back after the president publicly rebuked her and other conservative media figures for opposing the US’s war against Iran

“I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially given the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.



They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too!” he continued.

A day later, Kelly confronted Trump’s raging post on her show, saying, “I don’t know about you but I am sick of this s***. I’m just sick of it. Can’t [Trump] just behave like normal human?” She added that the president should “shut up.”

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