Last week, ABC decided to stop airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following backlash against the host’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Various media outlets noted that Kimmel’s September 15 monologue was a significant factor, but it’s worth mentioning that he had already addressed related topics several times since September 10.
So, what did Kimmel express about his reaction to the murder before the pulls of Kirk and Shaw?
Thursday, September 11
The night after Kirk’s assassination, with guests Sean Penn and Owen Cooper, Kimmel opened the show with a poignant commentary.
“Thank you for joining us from Los Angeles, our nation’s second largest city, which, like the rest of the country, is struggling to comprehend the senseless killings of popular figures like Charlie Kirk—a conservative activist whose death has stirred up our anger,” Kimmel stated. “It’s concerning to see such a despicable response from both sides of the aisle. Some people seem to be cheering this on, which I really can’t wrap my head around.”
He then shifted to a broader discussion about political division.
“With everything that’s happening, you’d think our president would try to unite us, but that hasn’t happened. President Biden didn’t. Presidents Bush and Clinton tried, but President Trump placed the blame on Democrats for their harsh words,” he remarked.
Kimmel continued with his usual humorous commentary about Trump and other political figures.
There were no new episodes aired on Friday.
Monday, September 15
Several major networks, including BBC and New York Times, reported that Kimmel’s monologue on Monday night ultimately led to ABC suspending the show. The network faced pressures from FCC Chairman Brendan Kerr, resulting in Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of The Hill, announcing that Kimmel’s program would be removed from their stations.
Nexstar stated it was “strongly opposed” to Kimmel’s recent remarks about Kirk’s murder. “We find his comments to be inappropriate and not in the public interest at such a crucial moment in our political climate,” the company said. “Thus, we believe it’s necessary to suspend his broadcast to foster a more respectful dialogue.”
Reports highlighted that Kimmel’s comments two minutes into Monday’s monologue triggered significant backlash.
“We hit a new low over the weekend with the Maga crowd, who are desperately trying to paint the person who killed Charlie Kirk as a non-reflection of themselves, attempting to leverage this for political gain,” Kimmel observed.
He went on in his classic monologue style:
“Between my laughter, there was sadness on Friday,” he noted. “The White House even flew the flag at half-staff.”
He played a clip of President Trump sharing how he was reacting to Kirk’s death. Trump remarked, “I think it’s very good. By the way, you can see all the trucks there. We’ve just started building a new White House ballroom.”
As the laughter from the audience faded, Kimmel joked about the president’s unorthodox response.
“Yes, he’s clearly in the fourth stage of grief: Construction. This isn’t exactly a healthy way for adults to process the murder of someone he called a friend,” he quipped.
Kimmel connected this moment to the larger narrative about political rhetoric and federal officials, including FBI directors and other representatives.
Tuesday, September 16
The day before the suspension news broke, Kimmel spoke again about Kirk’s murder, referring to the reaction as an attempt to manipulate the situation. “Many from ‘Maga Land’ are working hard to exploit Charlie Kirk’s murder for their own agenda,” he said.
Kimmel explained how these tragedies were being co-opted for political messaging, mentioning remarks from J.D. Vance and Eric Trump.
“JD Vance, known for calling Trump ‘American Hitler,’ hosted a podcast with Kirk where he pointed fingers at the left,” Kimmel stated, before showing footage of the podcast.
In the clip, Vance claimed, “Sure, there are some issues on our side, but statistically, most of the radicals in American politics today come from the far left.”
Kimmel challenged this assertion and lampooned Vance’s argument.
Charlie Kirk, 31, was an influential conservative activist who was tragically killed by a sniper during a public meeting at Utah Valley University on September 10. Utah prosecutors have indicated plans to pursue the death penalty against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, although the motives remain somewhat unclear.
