Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more
Walt Disney’s new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro, and his team are tasked with determining the company’s response to a public dispute between Donald Trump and ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, Disney Chair James Gorman confirmed on Tuesday.
The U.S. president and first lady have called for Kimmel’s dismissal from ABC and its parent company Disney on Monday.
The demands followed remarks Kimmel made about Melania Trump on Thursday, days before a shooting incident at Saturday’s White House correspondents’ dinner.
Kimmel addressed the controversy on Monday, explaining that his joke about Melania Trump having "a glow like an expectant widow" was a reference to the age difference between the first lady and her husband, not a "call to assassination."
Disney’s board chair acknowledged that large corporations occasionally encounter "these kinds of issues" that require resolution.
"It’s the job of the CEO with their team to figure out the right answer and they’ll be guided by the board," Gorman stated at a business conference in Oslo. He declined to offer specific advice from himself or the board regarding the future of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
Gorman expressed confidence in the new CEO, who took the helm at Disney last month. "We have a terrific new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, he’s world class so I’m sure he’ll rise to the occasion and do what the right thing is," he added.
open image in gallery ( AFP/Getty )
The shooting incident at the Washington Hilton lobby on Saturday led to the swift evacuation of the president, his wife, and other senior government officials from the dinner.
On Monday night, Kimmel kicked off Jimmy Kimmel Live! by describing the joke as a light roast about the couple’s age difference and “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,” he continued.
The host went on to express sympathy for the president and others at the event, saying they had endured a “traumatic and scary” ordeal.
“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,” Kimmel said.
“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.”
Melania responded to last week’s sketch in a post shared on X on Monday and described the talk show host as a “coward.”
open image in gallery Comedian and TV producer Jimmy Kimmel speaks during the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles on October 8, 2025 ( AFP/Getty )
She said: “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 deepen the political sickness within America.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.
“A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behaviour at the expense of our community.”