Trump distracts from gunman's Epstein motivations to pile on Jimmy Kimmel

President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel about a joke he made the night before a man with a gun showed up at the White House Correspondents Association dinner, where Trump was set to speak.

First lady Melania Trump came out against Kimmel's joke on Monday as well, attempting to link Kimmel to the assassination attempt. Mrs. Trump didn't comment on the joke directly after it was made, which was filmed on Thursday and aired Friday evening at 11:35 p.m. EDT. It was 60-plus hours later that Mrs. Trump came out against the joke.

Kimmel's joke was: "Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

Trump wrote on TruthSocial, many days after Kimmel made the statement, "Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking. He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be."

Kimmel's skit did not pretend that Melania and their son Barron were in the studio audience. He did a fake correspondent's dinner speech. Barron wasn't fully visible in the video; about one-quarter of his face was, and his ear.

Trump then repeated the joke, saying that "a day later, a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives."

It was two days earlier, and the man never entered the ballroom. He had two knives.

Trump continued, "He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said, but this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

A review of Mrs. Trump's @FLOTUS account on X shows that she has made more comments attacking Kimmel than she has the actual man with the gun.

Republicans rushed to X on Sunday to bash Kimmel in an effort to link his previous statements to the inspiration for the attacker.

The manifesto from the attacker said that he was motivated by trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, allegations of sexual assault, and alleges "he" is a traitor. The gunman never mentioned Kimmel anywhere in the manifesto, according to reports.

When Trump was asked about that particular line in the manifesto, he snapped at CBS News reporter Norah O'Donnell, saying that he did not say those things. O'Donnell mentioned that the gunman never specifically named Trump for that.

The Hollywood Reporter alleged that Kimmel's joke was "ill-timed," though the statement came before the incident.

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