White House slams Jimmy Kimmel over "disgusting" comments

已複製連結

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed late night host Jimmy Kimmel for what she called his "disgusting" comments about first lady Melania Trump.

"Just two days prior to the shooting, ABC's late night host Jimmy Kimmel disgustingly called first Lady Melania Trump, 'an expectant widow,'" Leavitt said at Monday's press briefing.

"Who in their right minds says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?" she added. There was no indication that Kimmel was referring to violence.

Leavitt was referring to a joke last Thursday on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" during which the late-night comic was pretending to deliver a comedy routine at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. 

In the routine, Kimmel described the first lady as having "the glow of an expectant widow."

That event two nights later was cut short when a man armed with guns and knives tried to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and much of the nation's political leadership had gathered.

Leavitt said Kimmel's comments were part of a campaign of rhetoric from Democrats and some in the media that "has helped to legitimize this violence."

Donald and Melania Trump both called Monday for ABC to fire Kimmel.

There was no immediate comment from ABC.