Trump

Sorry, Jimmy Kimmel: It’s Not Funny to Joke About the First Lady as a Widow

Late-night “comedian” Jimmy Kimmel doubled down on his controversial comments from the weekend concerning First Lady Melania Trump, suggesting she was wishing her husband were dead.

In what was spun as a “roast” ahead of the ill-fated White House Correspondent’s Dinner on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, Kimmel stood behind a mock-presidential lectern and delivered what was framed as a fake address.

“Look at Melania, so beautiful,” said the ABC television host. “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

In light of the attempted assassination of President Trump, Kimmel’s comments gained added scrutiny in the aftermath of the attack. 

In response, Mrs. Trump called for Kimmel to be fired. 

“His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America,” she said. “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.”

President Trump agreed, posting on Truth Social, “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking.”

On Monday night, a defiant Kimmel not only refused to apologize, but instead tried to explain away the comments.

“It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am,” Kimmel explained. “It was not by any stretch a call to assassination…”

That Jimmy Kimmel thinks it’s remotely funny to joke about Mrs. Trump becoming a widow at any age, regardless of why – let alone a welcome one – illustrates and exposes the crassness and poor judgement of someone who purports to be a comedian.

Given that Mr. Trump was previously shot in the ear by a would-be-assassin, and nearly shot while playing golf, and then targeted again on Saturday, you would think that any such reference would be off-limits.

Memo to Jimmy Kimmel: Violence and hate are never funny. Period.

Contrast Kimmel’s comments with how the legendary late-night host Johnny Carson responded to the attempt on President Reagan’s life outside the same hotel.

The Academy Awards had been scheduled for the night of March 30, 1981, but were postponed after the shooting. They decided to go on with the program the next evening, and this is what Carson said:

The president is in excellent condition at last reports. He’s been conducting business.

And he happens to be in very good spirits. After all, you must remember this is a man who yesterday, while he was in the hospital unable to speak, wrote on a sheet of paper, “All things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” So tonightthe show does go on.

Now two weeks ago, President Reagan videotaped an opening greeting for this occasion. We were in contact with the White House about two hours ago. And it was the president’s express wishes that we use that introduction.

And I might add, you might like to know that he also asked for a television set in his room so he could view this program tonight. Actually, the president was in such good form today, I was very tempted to call him and ask him if he had any more of those one-liners that I could use. So it is especially pleasing tonight, ladies and gentlemen, to be able to say, here is the president of the United States.

Jimmy Kimmel’s professional fate remains unknown, but this one thing is undeniable: If he wants to be funny, he could learn a whole lot from Johnny Carson.

President Trump Paves Way for Fewer Restrictions on Psychedelics

President Trump signed an executive order Saturday to expedite FDA reviews of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health disorders.

The order, titled “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” purports to make experimental treatments for disorders like PTSD and depression more accessible to suffering citizens.

Critics note the president’s directive doesn’t just facilitate research — it also creates a pathway for Schedule I psychedelics like LSD and MDMA to be reclassified as less dangerous substances.

The order directs the FDA to enroll drugs it has designated “breakthrough therapies” for PTSD, depression and other mental illnesses in the organization’s National Priority Voucher program.

Drugs in the voucher program, which launched in June 2025, can achieve FDA approval in as little as one month, per the FDA’s website, without compromising “safety, scientific rigor or regulatory compliance requirements.”

The FDA has designated psychedelics including LSD, MDMA and psilocybin — the hallucinogen in “magic mushrooms,” as breakthrough treatments for mental health issues. Under the president’s order, the FDA must put them through the voucher program’s expedited review process.

In addition to accelerated reviews, the executive order:

  • Directs the FDA and Drug Enforcement Administration to create ways for Americans with serious or life-threatening illnesses to access experimental psychedelic drug treatments, provided they’ve passed the first stage of clinical trials.
  • Frees up $50 million in Health and Human Services (HHS) funding to research the effect of psychedelic drugs on mental health disorders.
  • Orders the FDA, HHS, and Department of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with drug companies to increase veterans’ participation in clinical trials studying psychedelics’ effect on PTSD, depression and other combat-related mental health disorders.
  • Directs the U.S. attorney general to order the review of any psychedelic approved by the FDA so it can be downgraded from a Schedule I drug, a classification reserved for drugs with no accepted medical uses and a high potential of abuse.

Proponents of the president’s order highlighted the importance of researching the effect of psychedelics on mental health disorders — particularly for veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.

“It’s disturbing to me and to the president that hundreds, in fact, thousands of veterans are having to travel to Mexico or other countries to experiment with interventions that hold great promise,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told reporters Saturday.

Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., the president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, also supports more robust research into potential medical applications of psychedelics. But President Trump’s order, he argued in a statement for the foundation, goes much too far.

“This order elevates politics and hype over sound science,” he wrote. “It implies that risky, unapproved hallucinogens can function as legitimate medical therapies.”

Dr. Sabet called the existing evidence for the benefits of psychedelics “beyond weak” and “rife with conflict and industry connections.”

“When the federal government lends its endorsement to any substance, that signal carries enormous weight,” he continued. “That power cannot and must not be used to legitimize unproven and potentially dangerous substances, particularly under the banner of helping those who have served our country.”

The statement concludes:

[The Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions] strongly supports rigorous, evidence-based research into new treatments, but this approach is dangerous and misguided and will put Americans at real risk.

If “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness” loosens legal restrictions on psychedelics, illegal, recreation consumption will almost certainly increase. In that case, it will become the second executive order in six months to compromise the Trump administration’s Great American Recovery Initiative — a coordinated government effort focused on preventing drug addiction, prioritizing treatment and celebrating recovery.

In December, the president signed an executive order opening the door for marijuana to be reclassified to a Schedule III drug, which is reserved for drugs which have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”

The order expanded access to cannabis, despite decades of evidence showing it effectively treats only three medical conditions — none of which include insomnia, anxiety and pain, increases risk of physical and psychological harm and, perhaps most importantly, causes addiction.

The high-THC content in modern marijuana products make them habit forming. A 2019 study published in The Lancet found people who smoke high-THC marijuana daily are five times as likely to develop a psychotic disorder than those who don’t smoke.

Focus on the Family President Jim Daly wrote to President Trump in December, urging him not to make marijuana easier to obtain.

“It is imperative for our federal government and leaders to continue sending a strong message about the negative impact of marijuana use and addiction,” Daly wrote.

The federal government must take the same stance on psychedelics to carry out the objectives of the Great American Recovery Initiatives.

Expanding access to dangerous, addictive drugs makes preventing addiction and prioritizing treatment a much more difficult task.

Additional Articles and Resources

Counseling Services

Request A Consult

Help With Substance Abuse and Addiction

Talking With Your Teens About Drugs and Alcohol

President Trump Unveils Plan to Combat Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Focus’ Jim Daly to Pres. Trump: Strongly and Unequivocally Oppose Reclassification of Marijuana

President Trump Loosens Restrictions on Marijuana — But the Grass Isn’t Greener on the Other Side

THC-Laced Snacks Marketed to Kids, Hemp to Blame

Marijuana Causing Psychosis in Young People, Legacy Media Late to Party

JD Vance Celebrates Mother’s 10-Year Sobriety at White House: ‘You Made It’

New Law Increases Penalties for Manufacturing, Distributing Fentanyl

Pam Bondi Fired: A Look at Her Work for Freedom, Families and Children

President Donald Trump announced this morning that Pam Bondi was fired from her position as attorney general. “She will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,” he stated.

He also stated that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche would be serving as acting attorney general until her replacement is nominated and confirmed. 

In a post on Truth Social, the president praised Bondi as “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” who “did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900.” 

As head of the Department of Justice, Bondi had done much to protect religious freedom, families and children. Here are just a few examples of those actions. 

Religious Freedom

Instead of weaponizing the FBI to intimidate and arrest pro-life supporters or targeting “radical-traditionalist Catholics” as “violent extremists,” both of which had taken place in the Biden administration, Bondi worked to affirm religious freedom and protect places of worship. 

When a group of activists, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota in January, Bondi had the pro-illegal alien activists arrested. She made clear that the DOJ was committed to protecting religious freedom, posting on X, “We will protect our houses of worship.” 

Protecting Girls Sports

Under Bondi’s leadership, the DOJ acted against schools and state education departments that allowed boys to participate in girls sports and to use girls locker rooms, showers and restrooms.

In April 2025, the Departments of Justice and Education announced the formation of “the Title IX Special Investigations Team … to ensure timely, consistent resolutions to protect students, and especially female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities.” 

Among other actions, the DOJ filed a civil lawsuit against Maine for failing to protect women in women’s sports; sued the California Department of Education and California Interscholastic Federation for violating Title IX; and filed suit against Minnesota for discriminating against girls by failing to “protect girls sports and intimate spaces.” 

Standing Against Transgenderism

The former attorney general took a strong stand against the mutilation of confused children with “transgender” medical interventions. In an April 2025 memo, Bondi directed the DOJ to investigate “transgender” medical interventions performed on minors. 

Among other actions to protect children, she told attorneys to investigate manufacturers and distributors who promote the off-label use of puberty blocking drugs and opposite-sex hormones; pursue investigations of false claims submitted to federal health care programs for claims related to radical gender experimentation; and work with whistleblowers who have knowledge of any violations under the False Claims Act.

Those actions led to hospitals, clinics and universities across the country shutting down programs that damaged countless minors with experimental and mutilating puberty blockers, opposite sex hormones and surgeries. 

Fox News said the president was “reportedly considering replacing Bondi with Environmental Protection Agency Director Lee Zeldin, according to the sources familiar with the matter.” 

The news outlet pointed to controversy over her handling of files about the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as part of the motive for her firing. 

In a press release, Bondi stated: 

Over the next month I will be working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche before moving to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration. 

She said leading the department was “the honor of a lifetime,” and pointed to accomplishments such as securing “the lowest murder rate in 125 years” and the “first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa.” 

The Daily Citizen wishes Pam Bondi well and is grateful for her good work on behalf of religious freedom, families and children. 

Related articles and resources: 

Attorney General Pam Bondi Sues Maine for Title IX Violations

Department of Justice Launches Title IX Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports

DOJ Arrests Three Activists Who Disrupted Cities Church Service in St. Paul

DOJ Targets Those Mutilating Children with ‘Transgender’ Drugs and Surgeries

Don Lemon, Other Activists Arrested for Disrupting Church Service in St. Paul

The FBI Deeply Needs Reform – and Fast

FBI Investigates Three Major Hospitals for Mutilating Children

Feds Pressure California After Boy Wins in Girls Track and Field Championship

Maine Schools Violated Title IX, Must Apologize, Feds Say

More Hospitals Stop Mutilation of Sexually Confused Children

Pam Bondi Directs DOJ Attorneys to Investigate Transgender Procedures for Minors

Pam Bondi Pledges to End ‘Partisan Weaponization’ of Department of Justice

President Trump Signs Order Protecting Children From Transgender Medical Interventions

Making Statues Great Again

On Sunday, a new statue of Christopher Columbus was placed on the White House grounds. It’s a 13-foot-tall, one-ton marble masterpiece now sitting just outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the West Wing.

In announcing the news, the administration stated on X, “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero, and President Trump will ensure he’s honored as such for generations to come.”

Designed and crafted by Maryland sculptor Will Hemsley, the statue is a replica of the one that anarchists threw into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in the summer of 2020. Back during that rage-fueled season, unhinged provocateurs were lashing out over cultural claims of racial injustice. Along with the desecration and destruction of the Columbus statue, more than 30 monuments were torn down or removed.

Ronald Reagan was president in 1984 when the original monument was dedicated. During his remarks just outside the “Gateway” to Baltimore’s “Little Italy,” he stated:

When Columbus discovered America, he set in force a motion mightier than the world had ever known. People came here from every corner of the planet to be free and to improve their lot and that of their family. Well, we got off course a few years ago, but now we’ve set the good ship Columbia back sailing in the right direction. And I thank you for letting me be here to help you honor the man who started it all, Christopher Columbus.

History revisionists with an agenda shade truth or ignore inconvenient facts altogether. One of the popular anti-Columbus narratives is that the sailing explorer was driven by greed and a desire to exploit others. In fact, he was a devout believer in Jesus Christ. He saw himself as a missionary in search of new people and new pathways to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Those goals and Columbus’ pioneering accomplishments make the mere mortal man worthy of becoming a monument. 

In the early days of America, modest monuments were constructed to acknowledge both people and turning points in history. The Bunker Hill Monument marked the beginning of the American Revolution. Engraved on the 221-foot granite obelisk is a phrase taken from Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Plantation. It reads, “His hand that made all things of nothing.” It’s taken from his larger observation that God can do great and mighty things from very little.

The Washington Monument obelisk was intended to honor America’s first president and his noble ideals, especially his commitment to freedom and independence. At the very top, facing east to receive the day’s first rays of sunshine, are two Latin words: “Laus Deo” or “Praise be to God”.

Not every statue or monument is intended to communicate such firmness of faith, but many of the men and women carved out of stone or whose images have been hewn out of metal were strong and unapologetic Christian believers. In most cases, those testimonies were not ancillary to their greatness but the driving force behind it.

Replacing or restoring statues that were vandalized or recklessly torn down is a helpful step in reminding Americans about the heroes on whose shoulders we stand. But simply returning to the status quo by putting back up old monuments won’t necessarily tell the full story of America’s storied history.

That’s why President Trump, in conjunction with America’s semiquincentennial, has announced plans for the “Garden of American Heroes” in Washington, D.C. in an area just south of the National Mall. It would include 250 life-size statues made of marble, granite, bronze, copper and brass. 

Officials have stated historical figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin will be featured, but the Garden will also include a broad spectrum of other personalities ranging from Harriet Tubman to Babe Ruth to Walt Disney and Thomas Edison. 

As Christians, we recognize that Jesus of Nazareth was the one and only perfect person who has ever walked the earth. As such, we don’t bow down or make idols of anyone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge, honor, and learn from the achievements of others.

In an era when historic monuments and statues have been toppled or torn down in protest, the rising generation deserves to know more about the men and women whose faith and sacrifice helped build our country.

HHS Tells States Not to Remove Children From Parents Who Affirm Biological Reality

The Trump administration is protecting parental rights and warning states not to remove children from their parents’ custody solely because they do not affirm their child’s self-professed “gender identity.”

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to all 50 states reminded them that “state child welfare agencies must base child removal decisions on objective evidence of abuse or imminent risk of harm” under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

The letter warns states “not to interpret federal definitions too broadly in ways that infringe on parental rights or lead to unnecessary foster placements by removing children for reasons that do not constitute abuse and neglect.”

Furthermore, the letter informs states “that removing a child based solely on a parent’s sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions” may violate the Constitution’s free exercise clause and that “removing a child for these reasons may harm both the child and the parents.”

ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams said in a statement announcing the letter, “Parents have the right to raise their children according to their sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions.”

Assistant Secretary Adams and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine released a video announcing the letter.

Assistant Secretary Adams also appeared on Newsmax to discuss the development.

HHS said the letter is a part of the Trump administration’s effort to “defend parental rights and children’s health.”

“Acknowledging biological reality and exercising sincerely held religious beliefs should not constitute child abuse or neglect under federal law,” the agency said.

Think ACF’s letter is unnecessary? Think again.

Two years in a row, Colorado lawmakers have introduced legislation threatening parents’ rights if they don’t immediately support their child’s “transition” to a new “gender identity.” California lawmakers introduced similar legislation in 2023.

Colorado’s Senate Bill 26-018, in its original form, would have required courts to consider whether or not a parent supports a child’s “identity as it relates to a protected class” when “determining parenting time and allocation of decision-making responsibilities.”

These protected “identities” include a child’s “gender identity” and “gender expression.”

The bill is so radical that Colorado Governor Jared Polis intervened to kill the provision for a second year in a row. But if past is prologue, the legislation will surely be introduced again.

Across the nation, children have already been removed from their parents’ custody solely because they affirmed biological reality and would not affirm their child’s “gender identity” – even in red states like Indiana, Montana, Texas and Arizona.

Mary and Jeremy Cox, residents of Indiana, had their 16-year-old son – who began identifying as a female – removed from their custody because the state’s Department of Child Services argued he needed to be in a home that accepted his “gender identity.” One where “she [would be] accepted for who she is,” the state claimed.

So yes, states kidnapping children from parents who won’t affirm their sexual identity confusion is a large and growing evil. One that, thankfully, ACF is paying attention to and addressing.

The agency said it “will continue to monitor states’ compliance with federal child welfare requirements” and “ensure federal funds are used consistent with the law.”

Assistant Secretary Adams said,

When states overstep their bounds, ACF will take action to deter inappropriate policies that drive unnecessary interactions with child welfare systems.

To speak with a family help specialist or request resources, please call us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

Related articles and resources:

Colorado Bill Would Force Parents to Accept Child’s New ‘Gender Identity’

Focus on the Family Testifies Against Nightmare Bill, Colorado’s Radical ‘Trans’ Legislation Advances

Photo from Getty Images.