You have probably heard by now about the flap caused by some of the jokes that Jimmy Kimmel made on his late-night show two days prior to the White House Correspondents Dinner. That event on April 25 was disrupted by a gunman who began shooting. He was apprehended before he could access the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where scores of prominent dignitaries including President Donald Trump were seated.
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Among other jibes, Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that First Lady Melania Trump resembled "an expectant widow." Some were appalled by what they perceived was the comedian's insensitivity and poor taste. One of them was Mrs. Trump herself, who spoke out publicly, something she seldom does. The president called for Kimmel to be axed by the network. However, others vigorously stood up for Kimmel's right to free speech. No matter which side you are on, the flak is flying.
Kimmel Seems To Have an Ally in GOP Senator Ted Cruz
One surprising defender of Jimmy Kimmel's has apparently turned out to be Senator Ted Cruz. He is a staunch Republican who usually sides with President Trump, Per People, Cruz pushed back on Trump's call for Kimmel to be dumped by the ABC network. "He also denounced a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) probe into Disney."
According to Punchbowl News, Cruz said, "It is not government's job to censor speech, and I do not believe the FCC should operate as the speech police," He was evidently responding to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) zeroing in on the parent company of ABC, which is Disney. Per People, the diversity programs of Disney allegedly are not aligned with federal law.
Cruz has advocated for Jimmy Kimmel before. Last fall, his show was removed from the air briefly. That was when Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was assassinated in Utah. At that time, Cruz said on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, that FCC Chair Brendan Carr's supposed threat to the broadcast licenses of ABC, supposedly sparked by the Kimmel skirmish, was "dangerous as hell."
The Dustup Between Kimmel and the Trumps
Kimmel's recent controversial remarks on his show came when he staged a spoof of the upcoming WHCA dinner. Afterward, President Trump had a barb of his own for the nighttime TV host. He demanded that Kimmel be fired on his platform Truth Social on April 27. Then, on April 30, again on Truth Social, Trump posted, "When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television? People are angry. It better be soon!!! President DJT"
