Kimmel joked that First Lady Melania Trump looked like an \u201cexpectant widow\u201d in a monologue that aired Thursday, just two days before shots were fired at Saturday\u2019s event which authorities are investigating as a possible third assassination attempt on President Donald Trump<\/a>. The comedian\u2019s days-old quip resurfaced after the shooting, leading to calls from the President and First Lady for ABC to \u201ctake a stand\u201d and fire Kimmel<\/a>, whose show was temporarily suspended last year after pressure from Trump\u2019s administration.<\/a><\/p>\n Clooney stood up for Kimmel and said that \u201cjokes are jokes\u201d during Monday\u2019s Chaplin Award Gala. The Democrat actor compared Kimmel\u2019s quip to a pre-dinner remark by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt<\/a> that also resurfaced out of context online after the shooting.<\/p>\n \u201cJimmy\u2019s a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn\u2019t mean shots should be fired,\u201d Clooney said, according to Variety<\/a>. \u201cShe was making a joke. Fair enough. You look at that side and go, \u2018Well, jokes are jokes.\u2019 But the rhetoric is a little dangerous. And we\u2019ve seen it a lot lately.\u201d<\/p>\n While heading into the WHCD, Leavitt had said on the red carpet Saturday that she was anticipating \u201csome shots fired tonight in the room,\u201d referring to fiery political remarks that Donald was expected to make during the gala.<\/p>\n Clooney said the extreme rhetoric \u201ccan be toned down.\u201d He added: \u201cWhen one side is calling anyone they disagree with traitors to the country, which is a charge that\u2019s punishable by death, just because they don\u2019t agree with someone, I think the rhetoric is a little too heated.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ocean\u2019s 11 actor went on to say that he will \u201calways have faith in the press\u201d because his father is a journalist. <\/p>\n \u201cI also think that you\u2019re not supposed to have a good relationship with government,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be questioning them. The people that I support- the Democrats. So, I\u2019m a Democrat. I make no apologies for it. The people that I support \u2014 Bill Clinton, Barack Obama \u2014 they didn\u2019t enjoy getting chased down by reporters. People in power don\u2019t like to have to answer all the questions in the world. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fair. They shouldn\u2019t enjoy it. And the reporters should make sure that they hold people\u2019s feet to the fire. That\u2019s the rules. That\u2019s what Jefferson talked about in 1787. We need to be able to have a free and fair press.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"George](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/George-Clooney-Jimmy-Kimmel-Donald-Trump-IndyComp.jpeg\")
George Clooney has defended Jimmy Kimmel against backlash over his joke made ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (Getty Images)<\/p>\n