Former ESPN Host Would Be 'Shocked' If ABC Punishes Jimmy Kimmel

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel found himself in headlines yet again for a not-so-funny joke made about President Donald Trump. As much as former ESPN host Sage Steele hopes that he gets punished for it, she's not holding her breath.

Kimmel made waves over the weekend by remarking that First Lady Melania Trump had a "glow" like an "expectant widow" on a sketch this past Thursday. Two days later, an armed man attempted to storm the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, reportedly targeting the President and members of his cabinet.

Given the timing of the two events, Kimmel faced a backlash for those remarks. Though he attempted to clear the air in a monologue on last night's episode of his show, that's not enough for Steele.

Steele Speaks

Appearing on Jesse Watters Primetime, Steele said that she would be "shocked" if ABC wound up disciplining Kimmel. She said that while she doesn't know if they will, they "absolutely" should.

"I would say it would shock me if they did based on history..." Steele said, via FoxNews.com. "Will they? Who knows? Should they? Absolutely."

Steele proposed that Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro in one of his first public acts as head of the company can be to "reset" the network by punishing Kimmel to the fullest extent of his abilities.

"He has an opportunity now to reset, to say, 'You know what? Enough is enough. We as a network are not going to contribute to this hateful rhetoric,' and he can drop the hammer now..." she said.

"This is your chance, not just to send a message to Jimmy Kimmel, but to all the other talent, to the executives, and most importantly to [the] American people, to say we are better than this. That was not a joke. It was much worse than that. Everybody knows it, it is time, and I hope the new CEO does it the right way."

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 2:30 PM.