'Carrying Press Freedom Banner': Meryl Streep Backs Jimmy Kimmel As Trump Demands His Firing

Oscar-winning actor Meryl Streep has backed late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, as US President Donald Trump escalates his demand that broadcaster ABC and its parent company Disney remove him from air.

Streep, who appeared on Kimmel’s show during a promotional tour for her upcoming film ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ voiced strong support for the host, telling him he is “carrying the banner of freedom of the press”.

“You’re a prince. You are a Knight Templar… We all depend on you and the world is listening,” she said, adding, “I’ve just come from around the world.”

ALSO READ: ‘It Was A Joke’: Jimmy Kimmel Responds After Trump Calls For Him To Be Fired

What is the row about?

The US President’s call for the comedian’s firing came after a joke Kimmel made during a recent

monologue in which he referred to First Lady Melania Trump as having a “glow like an expectant widow”, just days before the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington last week.

Trump had strongly condemned the joke, calling it inappropriate and accusing Kimmel of crossing a line. He has publicly urged ABC and Disney to fire the comedian, saying the comment was “far beyond the pale”.

“I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale,” he had wrote on his Truth Social platform.

First Lady Melania Trump also criticised Kimmel, calling his remarks “corrosive” and urging the network to take action.

“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community,” Melania had said.

In response, Kimmel has defended the joke, saying it was a light roast about the president’s age difference with his wife and insisting it was not a call for violence. The comedian has also dismissed the backlash as an overreaction.

The dispute has since widened, drawing in regulators after the US Federal Communications Commission ordered a review of ABC’s broadcast licence following the controversy.

(With inputs from agencies)