Everything Charlie Kirk Has Said About Jimmy Kimmel As Show Pulled Off Air

Charlie Kirk criticized Jimmy Kimmel, whose show has been taken off the air over his remarks about the assassination of the conservative activist, at several points over the years.

Why It Matters

Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, was fatally shot during a speech at Utah Valley University on September 10 during his “American Comeback Tour,” and 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is in custody charged with aggravated murder and other offenses. Kirk was a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and played a key role in organizing young Republican voters.

The decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! Comes as debate persists about the reaction to the assassination. While many conservatives have expressed grief for Kirk, some of his critics have responded with indifference or have been accused of celebrating his death, fueling calls for those individuals to face consequences such as firing. This has set off a debate about cancel culture and free speech.

Why Was Jimmy Kimmel’s Show Pulled Off the Air?

Kimmel’s suspension came after remarks he made in a recent monologue after Kirk’s death.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said in a statement Wednesday that these remarks were “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”

“Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue,” he said.

What Charlie Kirk Has Said About Jimmy Kimmel Over the Years

Kirk has made critiques against Kimmel as early as October 2017, when he wrote to a post on X that Kimmel “isn’t funny.” In the following years, Kirk made a number of remarks about Kimmel, who has been critical of Trump and other Republicans.

In 2020, Kirk wrote that “everyone who has been caught in blackface is a leftist,” while listing several celebrities who have faced criticism for alleged use of blackface, a practice that is widely considered to be racist. Kimmel apologized for using blackface in a sketch in 2020.

“There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke,” he said, according to NPR.

In March of 2024, Kirk mocked Kimmel for reading a Truth Social post made by Trump while hosting the Oscars, in which Trump asked if there had ever been a “worse host” than Kimmel.

“Jimmy Kimmel reads Trump’s Truth Social post ripping Kimmel as a mediocre, woke host of this year’s Oscar’s. He lives rent free in these people’s minds,” Kirk wrote to X.

Weeks later, in April, Kirk mentioned Kimmel in a post about former President Joe Biden’s reelection chances.

“The Rock says he regrets endorsing Joe Biden. Former TDS patient, actor Michael Rapaport, says he will not vote for Biden. James Carville warns of young men fleeing the Democrat Party. Minority voters are flocking to Trump. Jimmy Kimmel can’t fathom why Trump is ahead in several crucial swing states. Joe Biden is spending money defending Minnesota and Maine,” he wrote.

In August 10, he posted a video of Kimmel criticizing some voices on the left “repelling” people from the Democratic Party.

“Jimmy Kimmel says ‘repulsive’ liberal voices drive people away from Democrat Party but somehow fails to admit he’s one of them,” Kirk responded.

He also discussed Kimmel earlier this year after Kimmel’s monologue about people vandalizing Tesla vehicles with Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican. Kirk said that not a “single advertiser” would say his remarks went “too far,” while Lee described his remarks as “shameful.”

What People Are Saying

Christopher Anders, director of the Democracy and Technology Division at the American Civil Liberties Union, wrote in a statement: “This is beyond McCarthyism. Trump officials are repeatedly abusing their power to stop ideas they don’t like, deciding who can speak, write, and even joke. The Trump administration’s actions, paired with ABC’s capitulation, represent a grave threat to our First Amendment freedoms.”

Former President Barack Obama wrote to X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, wrote to X: “Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s war on the First Amendment is blatantly inconsistent with American values. Media companies, such as the one that suspended Mr. Kimmel, have a lot to explain. The censoring of artists and cancellation of shows is an act of cowardice. It may also be part of a corrupt pay-to-play scheme.”

FCC Chair Brendan Carr told CNBC: ” “Ever since President Trump won the election, it’s created a permission structure for markets, including the media market, to rationalize. If you look at the ratings for late night TV, they’ve been in an absolute nosedive for years.”

Trump said during a press conference: “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else. They should’ve fired him a long time ago. So you can call that free speech or not.”

What Happens Next

The show’s suspension has drawn condemnation from those concerned about First Amendment protections to the freedom of speech.