Washington DC – MAGA commentator Megyn Kelly recently did a 180 to defend comedian Jimmy Kimmel after President Donald Trump called for his show to be cancelled over a questionable “widow” joke aimed at the first lady.
On the April 30 episode of her podcast, Kelly shared that while she felt the joke that First Lady Melania Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow” was “out of line,” the president’s call for the comedian to be fired was also a bad move.
“It’s very inappropriate,” Kelly said, later adding, “The president of the United States should not be calling for any private company to fire any employee, especially over free speech.”
During the April 24 episode of his late-night show, Kimmel shared the joke while roasting the president as he gave a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech.
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Just a few days later, during the actual Correspondents’ Dinner, a gunman stormed through security and opened fire, allegedly with the intention of killing the president.
Though Kimmel later clarified his joke was a reference to the president’s old age, Trump, the first lady, and many MAGA allies argued the joke was a call for the president’s assassination.
In recent episodes of her show, Kelly has heavily criticized Kimmel over the joke, insisting it was about killing the president, and also calling for the comedian to be fired.
Kelly – a longtime loyalist to President Trump – has recently gained the president’s ire by criticizing his war with Iran, but she has not indicated she is ready to completely abandon support like some of her contemporaries.
