Jimmy Kimmel is facing renewed backlash after his late-night return on Sept. 23, 2025, where he claimed he never intended to blame any political faction for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
His remarks came just days after ABC parent company Disney temporarily pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air.
Kimmel’s Attempted Clarification
During his Tuesday night monologue, Kimmel addressed the controversy head-on.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said. “Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions.”
Kimmel went further, adding: “It was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make … for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”
He insisted the alleged killer “doesn’t represent anyone” and described the act as “a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t, ever.”
Past Remarks Resurface
Critics, however, quickly highlighted that on Sept. 15 — just a week earlier — Kimmel had tied Kirk’s killing directly to conservatives, accusing the “MAGA gang” of trying to distance themselves from the alleged shooter.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said at the time.
This sharp reversal has fueled accusations that Kimmel is rewriting history to save his career after his show was briefly suspended.
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Critics Respond
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show and spokesman for Turning Point USA, dismissed Kimmel’s explanation as “not good enough.” On X, Kolvet wrote:
“He’s emotional for himself because he almost torched his entire career.”
Kolvet even drafted the apology he said Kimmel should have given: “I’m sorry for saying the shooter was MAGA. He was not. He was of the left. I apologize to the Kirk family for lying. Please accept my sincere apology. I will do better. I was wrong.”
Other conservative commentators also piled on. Dana Loesch declared, “No apology. He outright lied about the killer because he hated the politics of the victim. Jimmy Kimmel can pound sand.”
Piers Morgan added, “Hard to feel sympathy for Jimmy Kimmel and his crocodile tears … He’s become a partisan political activist, not a comedic host.”
Jack Posobiec accused Kimmel of using the “DARVO playbook,” while Scott Jennings called his denial “pathetic.”
Broader Fallout
Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah on Sept. 10, is remembered as a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA. The suspect in the case is alleged to have held left-wing political views, complicating the narrative surrounding the tragedy.