Jimmy Kimmel correspondents' dinner joke controversy

Event in Politics

Jimmy Kimmel correspondents' dinner joke controversy has come up in 4 episodes across 2 podcasts in TMT, including Pod Save America, The Megyn Kelly Show. 3 people have made recorded remarks about it.

What people said

Megyn KellyConservative broadcaster and podcaster

Kelly disputes Gayle King's defense and says she believes Kimmel would welcome Trump's assassination.
“I bet Jimmy Kimmel would love to see Trump assassinated”
The Megyn Kelly Show: Kimmel's "Widow" Double Standard, Left Celebrates Political Violence, and Newsom's Hypocrisy, with Stu Burguiere | Ep. 1305 (Apr 28, 2026) · Listen from 19:43
Kelly argues Leavitt's 'shots fired' remark was an idiom, unlike Kimmel's joke, which she calls a borderline call for violence.
“That's not at all the same as what Jimmy Kimmel did, which was a bad taste, classless, borderline call for violence”
The Megyn Kelly Show: Kimmel's "Widow" Double Standard, Left Celebrates Political Violence, and Newsom's Hypocrisy, with Stu Burguiere | Ep. 1305 (Apr 28, 2026) · Listen from 12:58
Kelly argues Kimmel's joke was about assassination, not the Trumps' age difference.
“Because that clearly was not a joke about age difference. It was an assassination joke”
The Megyn Kelly Show: Kimmel's "Widow" Double Standard, Left Celebrates Political Violence, and Newsom's Hypocrisy, with Stu Burguiere | Ep. 1305 (Apr 28, 2026) · Listen from 6:04

What Megyn Kelly has said about Jimmy Kimmel correspondents' dinner joke controversy →

Dan PfeifferCo-host of Pod Save America, author of the Message Box newsletter, and former White House communications director

Pfeiffer argued the real harm of FCC pressure is the self-censorship it induces.
“we don't know about are the stories and the jokes that don't happen because people are afraid of the response”
Pod Save America: Did Trump's Supreme Court Rig the Midterms? (May 1, 2026) · Listen from 12:58

What Dan Pfeiffer has said about Jimmy Kimmel correspondents' dinner joke controversy →

Alex WagnerMSNBC host who hosts episodes in the Pod Save America feed

Wagner argued the FCC's license review of ABC was an escalation from its earlier action against Kimmel.
“it is, I think, an escalatory move from the last time the FCC took on ABC and Jimmy Kimmel, which was just to pull them off the air”
Pod Save America: Did Trump's Supreme Court Rig the Midterms? (May 1, 2026) · Listen from 10:13

What Alex Wagner has said about Jimmy Kimmel correspondents' dinner joke controversy →

Coverage over time

Apr 2026May 2026

Episodes discussing it, by month of release.

Podcasts

Pod Save America · 2 episodes
The Megyn Kelly Show · 2 episodes

Episodes

Did Trump's Supreme Court Rig the Midterms?
Pod Save America · May 1, 2026 · 1 h 41 min
Dan Pfeiffer and Alex Wagner discuss the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling, Trump's grudges and Hegseth's testimony; Tommy Vietor interviews Iowa Senate candidate Zach Wahls.
Shock Allegations Against Female Finance Exec, and LA's Own Socialist, with Adam Carolla, Plus Joseph Massey's Powerful New Poetry Book | Ep. 1307
The Megyn Kelly Show · Apr 30, 2026 · 1 h 42 min
Megyn Kelly and Adam Carolla discuss a JPMorgan harassment lawsuit, Alex Cooper's dating advice, Ozempic, Jasmine Crockett and Nithya Raman; poet Joseph Massey discusses Invisible Current.
Kimmel's "Widow" Double Standard, Left Celebrates Political Violence, and Newsom's Hypocrisy, with Stu Burguiere | Ep. 1305
The Megyn Kelly Show · Apr 28, 2026 · 1 h 41 min
Megyn Kelly and Stu Burguiere criticize Jimmy Kimmel's 'expectant widow' joke, ABC's double standards, left-wing celebration of political violence, and Jennifer Siebel Newsom's misogyny charge against Trump.
Political Violence Shocks Washington
Pod Save America · Apr 28, 2026 · 1 h 25 min
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor discuss the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting and Iran talks; Lovett interviews California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter.