Exactly what Jimmy Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk that got him suspended ‘indefinitely’
People have been left shocked after it was revealed that Jimmy Kimmel's late night live show has been suspended 'indefinitely' following the comments he made about Charlie Kirk, with many not quite understanding the reaction.
Jimmy Kimmel has never really shied away from offering his thoughts on the current political climate and state of affairs, and that has led to criticism from high profile individuals like Elon Musk, who called him an 'unfunny jerk' among other things.
The opening monologue of his last show might just have gone a little too far though – at least in the eyes of his broadcaster and network operator – as the late night talkshow host has been suspended 'indefinitely' after comments he made regarding far-right commentator Charlie Kirk's death.
Despite claiming to be the party of free speech and anti-cancel culture, Republicans and the Trump administration have been firm in their opposition to any potentially disparaging comments made in reference to Kirk, as Vice President JD Vance urged people to 'contact the employers' of anyone 'celebrating' his death.
Advert
Additionally, Attorney General Pam Bondi has threatened legal action towards anyone engaging in what she deems as 'hate speech' surrounding the Turning Point USA co-founder, and Kimmel might have got a taste of that himself.
While the suspension itself is shocking enough, many have been left stunned and confused when they read and hear exactly what Kimmel said to earn the criticism, and we'll let you judge for yourself.
Here is what Jimmy Kimmel said during the opening monologue of his show on Monday, September 15:
"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid [Robinson] who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel declared.
"In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving. On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism. But on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this.
"Yes, he's at the fourth stage of grief. Construction. Demolition, construction... This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay? And it didn't just happen once."
Further footage is then shown of Trump deflecting from comments about Kirk, choosing instead to talk about his various building projects at the White House and beyond.
"There's something wrong with him," Kimmel claimed. "Is it possible that he's doing it intentionally so we could be mad about that instead of the Epstein list? By the time he's out of office, the White House will have slot machines and a water slide."
You might notice that there wasn't actually any comments about Kirk himself during this monologue, as it mostly focused on the reaction of the political right – particularly President Trump – to his death.
Nexstar, who own a number of TV stations across the US, announced that it would stop airing Kimmel's show in response to his comments, with the company's president Andrew Alford offering his thoughts on the monologue:
"Mr Kimmel's comments about the death of Mr Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a criticial time in our national political discourse," with President Trump congratulating ABC for suspending the late night host, adding that Kimmel "has ZERO talent" in a post on Truth Social.