Resurfaced clip shows Jimmy Kimmel mocking Melania Trump and fans had the same reaction: "She sounds..."
In April 2018, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel found himself at the center of controversy after mocking First Lady Melania Trump’s accent during a segment on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' The comedian aired a clip of Melania reading to children during the White House Easter Egg Roll. As she narrated from a book, she read, "Never stop exploring, cuz life would be boring. Be curious like a cat, ask lots of questions, about this and that." Kimmel imitated her Slovenian accent, emphasizing "this and that" for comedic effect. Turning to his sidekick, he quipped, "Guillermo, you know what this means—you could be the First Lady of the United States." As the video continued playing, Kimmel couldn’t resist adding, "It only gets better after this."
At the time, Kimmel’s comments sparked outrage. One YouTube user wrote, "I am not a right or a left guy - I just want what’s right for our country. I think Kimmel was a little out of line for this segment. She sounds totally fine to me while reading the story - making fun of American people with foreign accents isn’t a behavior we should be teaching our kids or the society’s moldable minds..." Another added, "Mr. Kimmel, you're not funny at all. The First Lady is a very civil woman, she has sophistication with how she carries herself. There is no vitriol in her words and deeds, even though people like you are making fun of her. She doesn't hit back, she is a class act." One even called out Kimmel, saying, "He puts on a “progressive” act, and then makes fun of an immigrants accent."
Where does @JimmyKimmel get off making fun of @FLOTUS Melania Trump’s accent? Is he going to make fun of someone from Boston? TX? Or is it just the accents of immigrants he mocks? The woman speaks 5 languages for Pete’s sake! He’s out of line. https://t.co/9hUKWq9BzS
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 8, 2018
Furthermore, Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical leader, tweeted, "Where does @JimmyKimmel get off making fun of @FLOTUS Melania Trump’s accent? Is he going to make fun of someone from Boston? TX? Or is it just the accents of immigrants he mocks? The woman speaks 5 languages for Pete’s sake! He’s out of line." On the other hand, Fox News also reported that an online petition was launched, calling for a boycott of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' which had exceeded its goal of 50,000 signatures.
The host of Fox News, Sean Hannity, didn’t hold back when reacting to Kimmel’s mockery of Melania's accent, as per CBS News. Hannity fired the first shot on Twitter, branding Kimmel an “a** clown.” In true comedic fashion, Kimmel replied, calling Hannity a “wholea** circus.” This snarky exchange quickly escalated into a heated Twitter feud, with both sides relentlessly trading barbs and jabs. Eventually, As The Independent reported, Kimmel quit the feud with a long apology stating, "I will take Sean Hannity at his word that he was genuinely offended by what I believed and still believe to be a harmless and silly aside referencing our first lady’s accent."
Kimmel did include a farewell shot for Hannity and quipped he is “hopeful that Sean Hannity will learn from this too and continue his newly-found advocacy for women, immigrants and first ladies and that he will triumph in his heroic battle against sexual harassment and perversion. Mrs Trump almost certainly has enough to worry about without being used as a prop to increase TV ratings. While I admit I did have fun with our back and forth, after some thought, I realise that the level of vitriol from all sides (mine and me included) does nothing good for anyone and is harmful to our country.” However, critics argued that his apology lacked sincerity and was merely an attempt to quell the negative press.
