Jimmy Kimmel and President Donald Trump wound up in another feud after the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. But there's one area where they might surprisingly be in agreement.
On the April 27 episode of his late-night show, the comedian shared his reaction after a gunman opened fire at the press event over the weekend, where Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other administration officials were in attendance. A suspect has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
Kimmel began his show by defending a joke he made last week calling the first lady an "expectant widow" days before the shooting, a remark that led the president to call for his firing. But Kimmel said he is genuinely "sorry" that the president, the first lady and everyone else in attendance went through the "traumatic" and "scary" situation at the event.
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He also did not seem to disagree with Trump's argument that the shooting shows why his planned White House ballroom is needed because it would have been more secure than the hotel where the dinner was held. The East Wing of the White House was controversially demolished last year as part of the ballroom construction plan.
"One thing about Donald Trump: There's nothing he can't turn into a real estate opportunity," Kimmel joked, adding that while he doesn't "believe for one second that the reason he decided to build this ballroom is for security," the shooting "was a pretty good argument" for it. "I might be pro-ballroom now, weirdly, after this," he said. "That way, if anything terrible ever happens, at least they can dance."
Later in the show, Kimmel interviewed Jon Lovett and asked the "Pod Save America" host, "Am I nuts in thinking that he might now have a point about this ballroom?" Lovett simply shot back, "Yeah. You're nuts. Because the problem with the ballroom is not the idea or concept of a philosophical ballroom. It's that he knocked down the East [Wing] without asking anybody permission."
"I forgot about that," Kimmel quipped.
Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers talk Trump, shooting and ballroom
Over on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart initially feigned optimism about how Trump would address the press dinner shooting, arguing that "these events clearly point out that we have a problem in this country at the nexus of mental health and the availability of powerful weapons, and maybe, just maybe, this sobering night will spur a movement for some solutions."
But the show then cut to Trump making the case for his White House ballroom.
"Yeah, that's a great solution to gun violence for you," Stewart said. "What about the unballroomed rest of us? Malls, churches, schools, synagogues, wherever. Not every town can have a ballroom! Didn't you even see 'Footloose'? A ballroom? That's the solution? That is the dumbest … idea I've ever heard."
On "Late Night," Seth Meyers said he's "relieved and grateful that everyone is safe," adding that political violence is "unacceptable and has no place in a functioning democracy." But Meyers went on to question Trump's ballroom push, joking, "This is the first I'm hearing that it's a 'safe' ballroom. All I've ever heard is how it's going to be big and beautiful, but now we're shifting to safe?
"It would be nice if our politicians could lead by example and provide solutions for keeping all Americans safe," Meyers added, arguing that Trump seems to be focused on his ballroom at the expense of this.
Stephen Colbert has not yet addressed the shooting, as "The Late Show" did not air a new episode on April 27.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and others were also in attendance for the dinner in Washington, D.C. The White House Correspondents' Association dinner brings together journalists who cover the president and members of the presidential administration. It's typically headlined by a comedian, though mentalist Oz Pearlman served as the headlining entertainer this year. Pearlman was performing a trick for Leavitt when the shots were heard, and Trump was quickly whisked away.
During a press briefing on April 27, Leavitt described the suspect charged with attempting to assassinate the president at the dinner as a "crazed, anti-Trump individual," and she criticized what she described as a "systemic demonization" of the president and his supporters.
Contributing: Phillip M. Bailey and Terry Collins, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kimmel thinks Trump may 'have a point' after press dinner shooting
