Trump-Jimmy Kimmel feud emerges as first major challenge for Disney’s new CEO
In the opening minutes of his Monday show, Kimmel reiterated the joke
Legendary clashes usually come with a sequel, so it's only right that the president and the comedian are having another showdown.
This time, Melania Trump started it. The first lady took a jab at the late-night host for his comment that she "had a glow like an expectant widow."
Kimmel's quip aired on Thursday, before the event at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
"Kimmel's divisive and harmful remarks are designed to split our nation," Melania Trump stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning.
(My colleague Peter Kafka pointed out the first lady's choice to use X to address Kimmel even though her husband owns a competing social media network. She posted there as well, but the engagement was weaker on Truth Social.)
Trump also got involved, urging Disney and ABC to "immediately fire" Kimmel.
In the opening minutes of his Monday show, Kimmel reiterated the joke.
Trump-Kimmel II largely features the same key players, with one noteworthy difference.
The renewed conflict serves as the initial major challenge for the new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro. It touches a segment of the business that's arguably his lack of expertise. An expert on theme parks, D'Amaro has lesser familiarity with the Hollywood scene.
His previous competitor might become his strongest ally. Disney executive Dana Walden, who was also in the race with D'Amaro for former CEO Bob Iger's role, heads the company's entertainment division. Walden and Iger had temporarily removed Kimmel from the air last year.
Even if D'Amaro wishes to avoid the controversy, he may not have that luxury. Previously, two major station owners — Sinclair and Nexstar — pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off their ABC affiliate networks, heightening the tensions.