Melania Trump targets Kimmel after WHCD shooting

Melania Trump faced a wave of online criticism on April 28, 2026, after she publicly condemned late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke he made days before a shooting incident tied to the White House Correspondents' Dinner weekend.

Her remarks were posted on Truth Social, where she accused Kimmel of spreading hate and suggested he should not be on television. The post quickly triggered accusations of hypocrisy from social media users, who pointed to past moments involving her or her husband, Donald Trump, that critics said reflected similar conduct.

Truth Social post follows a joke aired on April 23

The dispute centers on comments Kimmel made during his April 23 broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Melania Trump’s April 28 response framed the joke as harmful and argued it crossed a line. Her call for consequences, including the suggestion that Kimmel should not remain on air, became the focal point of the backlash that followed.

Shooting incident reported April 25 at the Washington Hilton

The controversy intensified after a shooting incident on April 25 at the Washington Hilton, the venue associated with the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Officials said a gunman fired shots before being apprehended.

In the aftermath, both the White House and Melania Trump called for Kimmel’s dismissal from ABC. The sequence of events—Kimmel’s April 23 joke, the April 25 shooting incident, and the April 28 criticism—shaped how the dispute played out online.

Earlier calls to remove Kimmel from air

The April 28 episode was not the first time Donald Trump has pushed for Kimmel to be taken off television. The source material says Trump made a similar demand last year.

That earlier demand was followed by a temporary suspension of Kimmel’s show by ABC after the murder of Charlie Kirk, according to the same account. The renewed calls for Kimmel’s dismissal after the April 25 incident added to the public scrutiny around how networks respond to political pressure and high-profile controversies.

Uncertainty around next steps

It remains unclear what action, if any, ABC will take in response to the latest calls for Kimmel’s dismissal. The online reaction to Melania Trump’s post continued to center on whether her criticism was consistent with past rhetoric associated with the Trump family.