Kimmel condemned for 'sick' ‘expectant widow’ Melania joke
Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen criticizes late night show host Jimmy Kimmel for an insensitive joke targeted at the Trump family on ‘The Story.’

Jimmy Kimmel remains defiant, insists 'expectant widow' jab against Trumps was about age difference

by · Fox News

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel remained defiant Monday night, insisting his now-viral "expectant widow" joke about President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump was simply about their age. 

"This was Thursday, and there was no big reaction to it until this morning, when I greeted the day facing yet another Twitter vomit storm," Kimmel said during his monologue. "I said, our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at her. So beautiful. This is from the glow. Like an expected widow, which obviously was a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they were together."

"It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80, and she's younger than I am. It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination — and they know that," he continued. "I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular, but I understand that the First Lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house."

DISNEY UNDER FIRE AS ABC GRAPPLES WITH ANOTHER JIMMY KIMMEL CONTROVERSY

Liberal comedian Jimmy Kimmel addressed the backlash he received over his "expectant widow" joke he made two days before the third assassination attempt against President Donald Trump. (Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images)

This is a developing story.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.