Instagram/Jimmy Kimmel & Melania Tr Celebrity Jimmy Kimmel faces backlash for Melania Trump joke, but unlike his controversial Charlie Kirk remark, the fallout stays mostly online. April 29, 2026 AceShowbiz - Jimmy Kimmel encountered significant controversy in September 2025 after a monologue joke related to Charlie Kirk's murder, but the recent uproar over his joke about first lady Melania Trump has not escalated to the same degree. In 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was nearly derailed when Kimmel commented on the political fallout following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.