Podcaster Joe Rogan recently came to the defense of Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night host faced criticism for a joke directed at Melania Trump. Kimmel had quipped about Melania’s “pregnant widow” appearance during a skit before the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a remark Rogan noted went largely unnoticed until a shooting incident occurred shortly after.
“It was a Thursday, and nobody cared,” Rogan mentioned on his podcast. The backlash for Kimmel’s joke seemingly surfaced only after the assassination attempt, leading to many blaming Kimmel for his words.
Rogan pointed out that Kimmel’s joke could be interpreted in various ways—perhaps as commentary on President Trump’s age or even as dark humor. “Maybe it was an old guy joke, or maybe you could even see it as an assassination joke,” he said.
The shooter, Cole Allen, reportedly mentioned in a manifesto that he intended to target Trump administration officials, except for FBI Director Kash Patel.
This controversy arose after Kimmel received widespread disapproval, including from those who felt personally targeted by his joke. Melania Trump criticized the remarks as inappropriate and harmful during a segment, stating that Kimmel’s comments were not comedic and contributed to America’s political divides.
President Trump also responded, calling for Disney and ABC to dismiss Kimmel, describing the remarks as “despicable.” He noted that many were outraged and suggested that Kimmel deserved immediate consequences for his words.
Kimmel, however, remained unapologetic and addressed the situation on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” stating, “You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning and the first lady issues a statement demanding you be fired from your job? We’ve all been through that, right?”
