Kimmel says Donald and Melania Trump are 'closer than ever' after 'expectant widow' joke backlash

Kimmel opened his monologue by suggesting his joke had an unintended effect on the couple's relationship. "Our first couple, Donald and Melania, have seemed closer than ever," he said. "And I like to think I played a part in that."

"Considering the week I've had with the first couple, I'm just going to say that is a completely normal way to interact for two people who are very much in love," Kimmel said. "Maybe that's why his hands are all bruised, from Melania swatting them away."

The remarks follow controversy stemming from Kimmel's April 23 show, when he staged an alternative White House Correspondents' Association Dinner after the Trump administration opted not to feature a comedian at the annual event.

"Look at Melania, so beautiful," Kimmel said. "Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow."

In the aftermath, both the president and first lady publicly condemned Kimmel. 

"He should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Melania Trump also issued a statement criticizing the late-night host.

"People like Kimmel shouldn't have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate," she said.

"It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination," Kimmel said. "I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence."

The controversy has also intersected with broader tensions between the Trump administration and ABC's parent company, Disney. The Federal Communications Commission recently moved to accelerate review timelines for Disney-owned broadcast licenses, a step the administration said is tied to an ongoing examination of the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.