Actor George Clooney and podcaster Joe Rogan are among the high-profile figures defending Jimmy Kimmel after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for ABC to fire the late-night talk show host over a joke he made days before last weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner.
On the Thursday before the shooting, Kimmel joked on his show the first lady had “a glow like an expectant widow,” a remark he later said was aimed at the couple’s age gap and her public demeanor, not a call for violence. The first lady called the comment “hateful and violent rhetoric,” while the president urged ABC to fire Kimmel. Kimmel, a staunch Trump critic, defended the joke and said it was “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination.”
Last Saturday, 31-year-old Cole Allen allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump during the WHCA Dinner at the Washington Hilton, where prosecutors say he rushed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun while moving toward a ballroom, one floor below, filled with senior government officials. Investigators say the attack was methodically planned in advance, including cross-country travel, online research and scheduled emails outlining his intentions.
What to Know
On a Friday episode of his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan, who endorsed Trump in 2024, spoke about Kimmel’s skit, saying, “It came out on Thursday. No one cared Friday. No one cared on Saturday until Saturday night when the assassination attempt, and then all the sudden, everyone’s blaming Kimmel.”
Allen was armed with a shotgun, a pistol, multiple knives and daggers, and a “significant amount of ammunition for reloading,” when he was stopped by Secret Service agents. He had legally purchased the firearms from separate dealers in California, prosecutors said in Wednesday’s filing. The shooting caused Trump and members of his Cabinet and administration to be evacuated. The dinner is set to be rescheduled.
Rogan has also, at times, criticized the president on a range of issues. His break from Trump has been most pronounced over the war in Iran, which he has condemned in blunt terms on his podcast, as well as criticism of federal immigration enforcement operations. However, he most recently influenced the president’s executive order on the psychedelic drug ibogaine.
Rogan added the joke from Kimmel could be interpreted in different ways, potentially as an age joke, noting “he is old.” Trump is turning 80 next month, and Melania turned 56 in April.
Kimmel explained his joke in an episode of his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, saying his comments were “obviously a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face we see every time they are together.” He added that he has been “very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular.”
On Monday, Melania condemned Kimmel’s joke, writing on X, “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.”
She, along with the president, called for action from ABC, with Trump writing on Truth Social that Kimmel be “immediately fired.” Other Trump allies have called out the joke too, such as Erika Kirk whose husband Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September 2025.
Meanwhile, Clooney, who has also criticized the Trump administration, told Variety the criticism of Kimmel reflected a double standard, comparing the backlash to criticism of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s “shots fired” remark about the president’s speech he was preparing to make at the dinner, which Clooney said was also taken out of context.
“It will be funny. It will be entertaining,” Leavitt said on the red carpet. “There will be some shots fired tonight in the room. Everyone should tune in, it’s gonna be really great. I’m looking forward to hearing it.”
Clooney told Variety Monday night that Kimmel “is a comedian,” adding that he “would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn’t mean shots should be fired. 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.”
What Happens Next
Kimmel remains on air, and ABC has not publicly commented on the controversy or indicated any plans to take action.
Allen was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate Trump and firearms-related offenses, according to federal prosecutors.
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