Franklin Graham defends Melania Trump after Jimmy Kimmel makes fun of her accent

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the 60th Annual Red Cross Gala at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on Feb. 4, 2017. Reuters

Evangelist Franklin Graham got upset after Jimmy Kimmel made a joke at the expense of First Lady Melania Trump.

On ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on April 2, the host mocked the First Lady's reading of a children's book during the White House Easter egg hunt. Melania, who was born in Slovenia, speaks English with an accent, something Kimmel made sport of when he imitated her "dees and dat," according to the Chicago Tribune.

His mockery did not sit well with many people, including Graham. He voiced his concern on Facebook and took a stand for the First Lady.

"Where does comedian Jimmy Kimmel get off making fun of First Lady Melania Trump's accent? I don't get it. We all have accents. Is he going to make fun of someone from Boston? Maybe Texas? Or is it just the accents of immigrants he mocks? The woman is a successful business person and speaks five languages for Pete's sake. I think he's out of line," he wrote.

After garnering criticisms for his joke, Kimmel offered an apology on Twitter (@jimmykimmel) and referenced his ongoing feud with Fox News host, Sean Hannity. Because of Hannity's "deference to the President," Kimmel said he made a "harmless and silly" joke about the President's wife's accent.

But because people were "genuinely offended" by it, he is now saying sorry. "Mrs. Trump almost certainly has enough to worry about without being used as a prop to increase TV ratings," he said. "I am hopeful that Sean Hannity will learn from this too and continue his newly-found advocacy for women, immigrants and First Ladies and that he will triumph in his heroic battle against sexual harassment and perversion."

Netizens were pretty divided after he posted his apology. Some people wrote that Kimmel has nothing to apologize for because his joke was funny, while others failed to see his sincerity in the apology.

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