The president and late-night host’s ongoing feud continues with Trump once again decrying Kimmel and his talk show.

Donald Trump calls Jimmy Kimmel a ‘lowlife,’ says ‘he shouldn’t be on television’

The president and late-night host's ongoing feud continues with Trump once again decrying Kimmel and his talk show.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

EW's editorial guidelines

May 1, 2026 2:23 p.m. ET

Donald Trump; Jimmy Kimmel. Credit:

Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty; Disney/Randy Holmes

- Donald Trump called Jimmy Kimmel a "lowlife" for the joke he made about first lady Melania Trump.

- "I haven't heard him apologize, but he's a lowlife. Whether he apologized or not, he's a lowlife. He always has been. He shouldn't be on television," the president said about the comedian.

- Trump has made repeated calls this week for ABC to fire Kimmel and cancel his talk show.

Donald Trump is still upset over Jimmy Kimmel's recent joke about Melania Trump.

During an April 30 phone interview on Newsmax, the president was asked how he felt about Kimmel's apology. "Is it a good apology? Do you accept the apology?" Greta Van Susteren asked on her eponymous program.

Trump and Kimmel's most recent feud stems from a joke the comedian made at his "alternate" White House Correspondents' Dinner during his talk show *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, referring to the first lady as an "expectant widow." Since, both Trumps have called for his firing. It's worth noting that Kimmel has not apologized for the joke in question.

In response to Van Susteren, Trump said, "I haven't heard him apologize, but he's a lowlife. Whether he apologized or not, he's a lowlife. He always has been. He shouldn't be on television."

Trump continued, "I don't know how a guy can be on television where the network gets free airwaves from the United States government and spend 100 percent of his time knocking Republicans and conservatives and Trump 100 percent of his time. It's not supposed to work that way. You know, equal time provisions."

Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., in April 2026.

Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty

Trump added that it's "not supposed to work that way."

He continued, "But he's not a funny guy. He's got no ratings. And I don't understand how he can be on air. I think ABC is putting themselves in great jeopardy actually."

* *reached out to the White House, Jimmy Kimmel, and ABC but did not receive an immediate response.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

On April 23 during a segment on *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, Kimmel took aim at the president and first lady ahead of the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25.

"At the Correspondents' Dinner, typically someone funny shows up and roasts the luminaries and the president and everyone," he said, teeing up a litany of punch lines, "but our president is a delicate snowflake with the thinnest fat skin of any human being ever, and that means there's gonna be no comedian this year." Throughout his string of jokes, Kimmel said that Melania had "a glow like an expectant widow."

Trump calls for 'seriously unfunny' Jimmy Kimmel to be fired ‘soon’

Jimmy Kimmel shares video of wife waking him with Trump's new firing demand: 'I haven't even been fired once'

At the actual White House Correspondents' Dinner, gunfire broke out at the Washington Hilton where the event was being held. The alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, reportedly rushed through security carrying several weapons and fired several gunshots. He was charged with attempting to assassinate the president on Monday, along with two federal gun charges, per PEOPLE.

On Monday, both the president and first lady called for Kimmel's firing. "Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America," Melania wrote in part on X in a rare statement.

"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," Trump posted in part on Truth Social. "Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

That evening, Kimmel shrugged off the calls for his firing, noting that he was grateful that "no one was hurt" at the Correspondents' Dinner. He also addressed the "expectant widow" jab, saying that "obviously was a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they're together."

He continued, "It was a very light roast joke about the fact that [Trump] is almost 80 and she's younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination, and they know that I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular."**

Kimmel then pointed out he and the first lady do both denounce "hateful and violent rhetoric."

"I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject. I do. And I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it," he said.

Jimmy Kimmel on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in April 2026.

Disney/Randy Holmes

Kimmel's talk show was temporarily suspended in September 2025. The comedian made a comment about the "MAGA gang" response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. FCC chairman Brendan Carr encouraged ABC and parent company Disney to take action over the remarks. Kimmel's show was back on air within a week.

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Feuds & Controversies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”