Jimmy Kimmel laughs off Marjorie Taylor Greene reporting him to police: 'Officer? I would like to report a joke.'
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is taking one late night joke pretty seriously — so much so that she says she reported it to police.
Greene on Twitter took issue with Jimmy Kimmel recently joking on his show that he wants Will Smith to slap her. "@ABC, this threat of violence against me by @jimmykimmel has been filed with the @CapitolPolice," Greene tweeted, posting a clip of the joke.
Kimmel laughed off the tweet, responding, "Officer? I would like to report a joke."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The joke in question came in response to Greene claiming that Republicans who support Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson "are pro-pedophile." Referring to Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke about his wife, Kimmel said, "Wow, where is Will Smith when you really need him?" The joke received applause from Kimmel's audience.
Greene, who has been criticized for suggesting she supported executing Democrats and was stripped of her committee assignments in 2021, has been a frequent subject of ridicule on Kimmel's show. He has also referred to her as "Klan mom" and the "sorriest excuse for a congresswoman we've ever had."
Kimmel previously criticized Smith's actions at the Oscars, saying Rock "did not deserve to be slapped in the face for a joke." Greene, though, said she appreciated Smith's "Alpha male response of a husband defending his wife," adding, "It was much better than a Twitter fight with people saying tough things on their keyboard behind their screen."
Capitol Police hasn't confirmed that Greene filed a report, but her office said that it "takes all threats of violence towards the Congresswoman very seriously," claiming, "Last night, Jimmy Kimmel called for violence to be committed against Congresswoman Greene. It will not be tolerated."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published