Actor and Democratic advocate George Clooney expressed support for Jimmy Kimmel after the comedian’s controversial remarks about President Donald Trump. “A joke is a joke,” the Oceans 11 star said.
“Jimmy is a comedian. I’m not saying Caroline Levitt should face consequences, right? She’s just joking, and that’s fair,” Clooney stated at the 51st Chaplin Award Gala in New York on Monday.
Clooney drew a parallel between Kimmel, who had joked about Trump’s death, and Levitt, who, prior to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, said, “there will be shots fired in the room tonight.” Here, “shots” is an industry term alluding to the roasting at such events.
“On one hand, I think, ‘A joke is a joke.’ But then again, that kind of rhetoric can be pretty dangerous. I’ve been noticing a lot of it lately,” the Michael Clayton star commented.
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Kimmel has faced significant backlash after referring to First Lady Melania Trump as a “pregnant widow” just days before a gunman attempted to kill Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The host’s remarks gained extra attention because they followed President Trump’s recent narrow escapes from at least two assassination attempts.
Clooney highlighted a moment of unity observed between the press and the current administration the night of the shooting, asserting, “I always believe in the press.”
“I’ve always thought that way. As the son of a journalist, I think it’s vital we question the government,” he emphasized. “The politicians I support, like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, weren’t fans of being scrutinized by the media.”
The E.R. star continued, “People in power dislike answering tough questions, and that’s understandable. Reporters should definitely push for accountability.”
However, the president’s concerns after being vilified by the media and others seem much graver, as he’s often faced “cornering” from dangerous individuals wielding guns.
The assassination attempt on Saturday night by suspect Cole Thomas Allen marked the third such incident against Trump’s life in under two years.
The first occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot in the ear on July 13, 2024. The second was at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 15, 2024, when another individual aimed a rifle at him.
Additionally, though not officially deemed an assassination attempt, Austin Tucker Martin was shot and killed by the Secret Service on February 22, 2026, after he breached the secure area of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
Meanwhile, supporters of Melania Trump are organizing a boycott of ABC advertisers linked to Jimmy Kimmel Live!, amid reports that Disney may be reconsidering its involvement in response to Kimmel’s remarks.
