'He speaks his mind': Henry Winkler defends Jimmy Kimmel amid Trump's call for his firing
Henry Winkler, popularly known for his role as "The Fonz", has come to the defense of Jimmy Kimmel as the late-night host deals with a backlash over his joke on the First Lady during a skit on his show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'. Winkler wrote that Kimmel was a proud American who speaks his mind, while adding that the First Amendment is one of the biggest reasons why people choose America over other countries.
The actor joins a host of Hollywood celebrities rushing to defend Kimmel's right to free speech after President Trump and First Lady Melania urged Disney, the parent company of ABC, where Kimmel's show airs on weeknights, to fire Kimmel.
Three-time Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep told Kimmel that he was a "prince" and a "knight templar" while promoting her latest film, 'The Devil Wears Prada 2', on his show. "You're carrying the banner of freedom of the press. We all depend on you," Streep clared emphatically.
George Clooney also spoke out in favor of Kimmel during his speech at the 51st Chaplin Award Gala, where he was felicitated for his contribution to cinema, as per Variety. "Jimmy's a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn't mean shots should be fired. She was making a joke. Fair enough. You look at that side and go, 'Well, jokes are jokes.' But the rhetoric is a little dangerous. And we've seen it a lot lately," he said.
Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 27, 2026
People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to…
Kimmel has been in the firing line over a joke in which he quipped that Melania Trump glowed like an "expectant widow". The skit aired just two days before an assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. It is important to note that there was no criticism in the first two days of the show's airing on television.
Melania Trump wrote that Kimmel was a "coward" and called his joke "hateful and violent rhetoric," whereas Trump termed it as a "despicable call to violence." Both were unanimous in their demand for his removal. The demand, however, came after the shooting had taken place.
It was also reported that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was reviewing ABC's broadcast licenses, a move purportedly aimed at increasing the pressure on Disney. Kimmel remained defiant, clarifying that he was referring to the age gap between the President and his wife rather than inciting anyone to violence.
