Hold onto your remotes, folks. Late-night television just experienced a significant shake-up. Jimmy Kimmel’s popular show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was pulled from the air following some very controversial comments he made about the death of political activist Charlie Kirk.
This wasn’t a simple schedule change. During his broadcast on Monday, September 15, Kimmel, 57, shared his strong opinions on Kirk’s recent assassination. Kirk, a conservative political activist, was tragically shot and killed on September 10 during an event at Utah Valley University. He was only 31 years old. You can find a segment from that September 15 show online.
"We hit new lows over the weekend," Kimmel declared. He suggested some groups were trying to present "this guy who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything but one of them." He added that they were "doing everything possible to politically capitalize" on the tragedy. Kimmel noted that "among the accusations, there was grief."
Kimmel also took aim at President Donald Trump, 79. He mentioned that Trump had ordered flags to fly at half-mast, seemingly taking the news "very badly." However, Kimmel then showed a video clip of the President. In it, Trump was speaking to the press about building the White House ballroom. This happened right after he was asked about how he was coping with Kirk’s tragic passing.
"He’s in the fourth stage of grief, construction," Kimmel quipped, making light of the situation. "It’s demolition, construction." Kimmel went on to criticize Trump, who was reportedly close to Kirk. "That’s not how an adult mourns the murder of someone he called a friend," Kimmel stated directly. "That’s how a four-year-old mourns the death of a goldfish."
The fallout from Kimmel’s remarks was swift. Just days after the episode aired, news broke that ABC would take Kimmel off the air. "Jimmy Kimmel Live will be suspended indefinitely," a spokesperson for ABC confirmed to Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 17.
ABC’s decision came after Nexstar Media, which owns several television networks, reportedly threatened to remove the late-night program from its lineup. The company told Variety that same Wednesday that it "strongly" opposed "Mr. Kimmel’s recent comments regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk." Meanwhile, Us Weekly reached out to Kimmel for his perspective on the matter.
Charlie Kirk was a controversial figure during his life, and his death has continued to create division. While many celebrities and political figures have expressed sorrow over Kirk’s loss and condemned his murder, others who spoke negatively have faced criticism and consequences. This broader trend isn’t limited to Kimmel. Several public figures have been fired for insensitive comments about Kirk, including MSNBC correspondent Matthew Dowd.
Dowd, 64, who previously worked as a strategist for President George W. Bush, lost his job after his own remarks during a network broadcast. He said that Kirk "has been one of the most divisive figures, especially among young people, on this issue." Dowd claimed Kirk "constantly promotes this kind of hate speech or targets certain groups." He added, "And I always come back to that hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions." Dowd concluded, "You can’t stick with these terrible thoughts and then say those terrible words and not expect that terrible actions will occur. That’s the unfortunate environment we live in."
Hours later, Dowd was dismissed from the network. He quickly issued an apology. "Let’s unite and condemn violence of any kind," he wrote. "My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk’s family and friends. In a previous appearance on MSNBC, I was asked a question about the environment we are in. I apologize for my tone and my words." It seems that in today’s public discourse, every word carries significant weight.