Arabic version: تراجع لجنة الاتصالات الفيدرالية عن ترخيص ABC بعد انتقادات ترامب لكيميل

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ordered a review of the licence of US broadcaster ABC after demands from former President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for the network to fire comedian Jimmy Kimmel. This action comes after Kimmel made a controversial joke while portraying himself as the master of ceremonies for the upcoming White House Correspondents’ dinner, during which he referred to Melania Trump as having a “glow like an expectant widow.”

According to ABC News, both Donald and Melania Trump expressed their outrage over Kimmel’s comments, labeling them as a call to violence. The FCC’s review affects Disney, the parent company of ABC, as it responds to the Trumps’ demands.

In his defense, Kimmel responded on his show, stating that the joke was meant to be light-hearted and was focused on the age difference between the Trumps. He emphasized that it was “obviously … a joke” and not an incitement to violence, asserting that the Trumps understood this.

The controversy escalated further when White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized Kimmel on social media, calling him a “shit human” for not apologizing for the joke. This incident follows a recent assassination attempt on the former president, which has heightened sensitivities surrounding political discourse and comedy.

Kimmel has previously been in the spotlight regarding the boundaries of free speech in comedy, having faced government pressure last September over comments related to Trump’s political actions. This latest incident underscores the ongoing tensions between political figures and media personalities in the current political climate.