The remark about the president’s wife was part of a routine on Thursday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” where the host pretended to deliver a comedy routine at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. That event two nights later was cut short when a man armed with guns and knives tried to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps and much of the nation’s political leadership had gathered.

“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” Melania Trump said in a social media post later echoed by her husband.

Kimmel described the joke during his Monday night monologue as a light roast about the first couple’s age difference and “not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination.”

He said he was sorry that the president and everyone at the event went through that traumatic and scary experience.

“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,” Kimmel said. “I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”

There was no comment Monday from ABC.

Trump has long been on receiving end of Kimmel’s routines

Kimmel has long targeted the president in his comedy, and he doubled down after a run-in with the administration last fall. Kimmel was suspended by ABC and some of the network’s affiliates said they would take him off the air following a comment made about assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk, moves encouraged by Trump’s FCC chairman, Brendan Carr. ABC and the stations later brought Kimmel back.

Upon his return, Kimmel said that by saying that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he was not trying to make light of Kirk’s killing and didn’t want to leave that impression. He did not apologize, however, and he criticized station owners who took him off the air before later relenting.

Shortly after the incident, ABC signed Kimmel to a one-year contract extension that is due to keep him on the air until May 2027. His show has aired on the network since January 2003.

His late-night competitor Stephen Colbert — another frequent Trump critic — is seeing his CBS show end next month.

Dressed in a tux and standing behind a podium Thursday, Kimmel pretended to deliver a comic routine for the WHCA dinner. His speech had false “cutaways” to the Trumps and others, taken from video clips.

He noted Melania in the “audience,” saying, “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

“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,” the president said on his Truth Social platform. “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired” by ABC and its parent Walt Disney Co., he said.

His wife said Kimmel’s “hateful and violent rhetoric” is intended to divide the country. “A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him,” Melania Trump wrote. “Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.”

White House press secretary also weighs in

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was part of a campaign of rhetoric from Democrats and some in the media that “has helped to legitimize this violence.”

“Who in their right mind says a wife would be glowing over the potential murder of her beloved husband?” Leavitt said. There was no indication that Kimmel was referring to violence.

The National Religious Broadcasters association filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission, asking the agency to investigate ABC.

“We’re seeing a pattern of violence in this country that didn’t appear overnight,” said Troy Miller, NRB’s president and CEO. “When influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable, it contributes to a culture where violence feels thinkable to the already unstable.”

During his routine, Kimmel noted Melania Trump’s birthday Sunday, saying, “She’s planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does — looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?’”

He also said: “Before we go any further, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania. That was my impression of Jeffrey Epstein.”

Cole Tomas Allen, the California man arrested after attempting to rush into the correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, was charged Monday with the attempted assassination of the president.

___

Associated Press correspondent Jesse Bedayn in Austin, Texas, and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

You would have to go back quite some time to find an initial public offering (IPO) as anticipated as SpaceX’s. The aerospace company is looking to IPO this summer with around a $1.75 trillion valuation (the highest in IPO history). How much it ultimately fetches will depend on the market, but the lead-up has sparked significant investor interest.

Unless you’re an institution or “accredited investor,” you can’t buy shares of SpaceX on the stock market before its IPO. However, there are a few different ways to get exposure to it right now, before its IPO. 

Invest in a company with a stake in SpaceX

The best way for the average investor to get exposure to SpaceX before its IPO is to invest in a company that owns shares in it. Google parent Alphabet (GOOG +1.81%)(GOOGL +1.78%) is a good option because it reportedly owned 6.11% of SpaceX at the end of 2025. 

In January 2015, Alphabet invested $900 million in SpaceX as part of a $1 billion package with Fidelity. At the time, SpaceX was valued at around $12 billion, and Alphabet’s initial stake was around 7%. Its stake has since been diluted — especially after SpaceX and xAI merged in February — but 6% is still a sizable holding.

There are plenty of reasons to invest in Alphabet aside from its stake in SpaceX, but knowing that Alphabet’s investment could be worth around $105 billion if SpaceX fetches its record-breaking valuation is encouraging at a time when Alphabet is increasing its spending to keep up in the AI arms race.

Today’s Change

(1.78%) $6.12

Current Price

$350.52

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$4.2T

Day’s Range

$342.70 – $353.18

52wk Range

$147.84 – $353.18

Volume

1.3M

Avg Vol

32M

Gross Margin

59.68%

Dividend Yield

0.24%

EchoStar (SATS +3.52%) is a key partner of SpaceX that is planning to sell the company spectrum licenses that provide crucial frequencies that SpaceX’s Starlink relies on.

As part of the agreement — which is awaiting regulatory approval — EchoStar will gain millions of SpaceX shares. The EchoStar/SpaceX deal is expected to be approved in the first half of this year. The market is optimistic that it will go through. In the past 12 months, EchoStar’s stock is up 420% (as of April 24), largely because of its relationship with SpaceX.

There are funds that contain SpaceX shares

No fund has a higher allocation to SpaceX than the Baron Partners Fund (BPTRX 0.10%). As of March 31, 33% of the mutual fund was in SpaceX. Tesla accounts for 20%. The fund has a minimum initial investment. It’s either $2,000 or $500 if you set up automatic investments.

Ark Venture Fund (ARKVX 0.04%) has 17% of its holdings in SpaceX. It’s an “actively managed closed-end interval fund that seeks long-term growth of capital by investing both private and public equities securities of companies that are relevant to the Fund’s investment theme of disruptive innovation.” It has a $500 minimum initial investment, but one key thing to note is that there are specific windows every quarter where the fund repurchases up to 5% of its outstanding shares. If you miss that window, you’ll need to wait until the next one to sell shares.

Destiny Tech100 (DXYZ +1.46%) is 32 companies into its mission of having a portfolio of “100 of the top venture-backed private tech companies.” SpaceX is one of those companies, accounting for 16% of the fund. This is a closed-end management investment company. As with all investments, potential investors will need to dig into fees and other information before making a decision.

Should you wait until SpaceX’s IPO before investing?

If you want to invest in SpaceX as directly as possible, then waiting until its IPO is the route to take. However, if you’re looking to gain exposure to SpaceX without waiting to buy its shares on the market, going through Alphabet is likely the most direct (and beneficial) route among the options above.

SpaceX’s stock will inevitably be volatile in the time after its IPO, especially with the high valuation it’s aiming for. By investing in Alphabet, you get a trifecta: SpaceX exposure, shares of one of the best tech companies in the world, and a shield from the volatility or potential struggles of SpaceX’s stock early on.

The funds are good options if you want exposure, but the mutual funds aren’t as straightforward to buy as your typical exchange-traded fund. Realistically, though, most investors are better off waiting until SpaceX’s IPO to invest in the company directly.