Boycott Against ABC Advertisers Following Kimmel’s Comments
Supporters of First Lady Melania Trump are initiating a grassroots boycott of advertisers for Jimmy Kimmel Live! This comes just days before the most recent reported assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, amidst rumors that Disney might consider canceling the show after the host made troubling remarks about the president.
Many fans of Melania Trump expressed outrage after Kimmel labeled the first lady a “pregnant widow” just before a gunman’s attempt on Trump’s life at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This upset many who felt his comments were excessive and inappropriate.
One user on X stated, “Starting today, I will not buy anything advertised on the @jimmykimmel Show,” while sharing a list of advertisers including Allstate, McDonald’s, and Starbucks.
This reaction followed Melania Trump’s own social media post criticising Kimmel’s “hateful and violent rhetoric” aimed at dividing the nation. She stated that his jokes about her family should not be deemed as comedy, describing them as harmful to the political climate in America.
Melania continued, expressing that individuals like Kimmel shouldn’t be allowed to spread negativity in households across the country, labeling him a coward for hiding behind ABC.
In her post, she demanded action from ABC, asking how many times they would tolerate Kimmel’s hurtful remarks targeting communities.
Later that evening, Kimmel responded to the backlash by downplaying his comments, asserting that the joke was simply about an “age difference.”
In response, a boycott has begun against the advertisers supporting left-leaning late-night shows on ABC across the U.S. Furthermore, there are reports suggesting Disney may consider shutting down Kimmel’s show permanently, especially after the backlash from Melania Trump’s comments regarding his “widow” joke.
According to an ABC insider, stations throughout the nation received instructions to pull promotional segments for Kimmel’s show from their schedules, hinting that a more permanent removal of Kimmel might be on the horizon. Meanwhile, the network is facing pressure regarding its advertising revenue, which might influence its decisions on Kimmel’s future.
However, some reports claim that Kimmel remains secure in his position. Insiders at ABC have stated that the network continues to support him and has no intentions of suspending or canceling the show despite the controversy.
In light of all this, President Trump has called for Kimmel to be fired, with a White House director labeling the late-night host as disrespectful who hasn’t owned up to his comments.
With ongoing controversy surrounding Kimmel, ABC has yet to officially comment on the situation. Notably, late-night hosts, particularly those with leftist views, have faced criticism for making jokes about the deaths of political figures or those who have been the focus of assassination attempts.
This isn’t the first time Kimmel has faced backlash—he previously got into hot water over comments involving the assassination of a conservative figure last September. His recent joking about Trump’s death took on new weight following a serious security incident involving a suspect who attempted to breach security at a recent event.
This recent event is the third recorded assassination attempt on President Trump within just under two years, following two previous attempts, highlighting ongoing security concerns around the president.
