Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel criticized President Donald Trump during his Thursday night, September 11, show for his response to the death of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot and killed on Wednesday, September 10, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck while speaking to students at the university. The right-wing political influencer and activist left behind his wife Erika and two young children.
During his Thursday night monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Kimmel described Kirk’s death as senseless and condemned what he characterized as vile responses from both sides of the political spectrum. Kimmel indicated that some people were cheering the killing, which he stated was something he would never understand.
The late-night host specifically criticized Trump for blaming Democrats and their rhetoric for Kirk’s assassination. Kimmel contrasted Trump’s response with statements issued by former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, noting that these former leaders attempted to bring Americans together following the tragedy. “With all these terrible things happening, you would think that our president would at least make an attempt to bring us together, but he didn’t,” Kimmel stated during his monologue.
Trump had claimed the radical left was directly responsible for what he termed terrorism occurring in the country. The president announced on September 11 that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, referring to the activist as a martyr for truth and freedom.
Kimmel highlighted what he characterized as Trump’s own inflammatory rhetoric over the years, referencing previous statements the president made about Second Amendment supporters potentially taking action against Hillary Clinton, comments about not minding if someone shot people in “fake news media,” and his remarks about Liz Cheney facing gunfire for supporting his opponent. The host also mentioned Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol incident.
The television host had initially addressed Kirk’s death on Instagram before his Thursday show, calling for unity rather than finger-pointing. He expressed condolences to the Kirk family and all victims of gun violence, emphasizing that shooting another human was horrible and monstrous.
Kimmel also referenced another shooting that occurred on September 10 in Colorado, where a male student shot and injured two peers at a high school before dying from self-inflicted injuries. He noted this was reportedly the hundredth school shooting of the year.
Fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert also addressed Kirk’s death, delivering a solemn message before his “Late Show” episode on September 11. Colbert condemned political violence and emphasized that Kirk, regardless of his political views, was a young father with constitutional rights to express his opinions safely. He referenced the political violence of the 1960s and expressed hope that the shooting was an isolated incident rather than a sign of future violence.
The White House responded to Kimmel’s criticism through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who defended Trump’s statements and accused Kimmel of dividing Americans through what she characterized as hatred and lies.
Kirk’s assassination generated significant reaction across the political spectrum, with officials describing it as a political assassination. Video footage of the shooting quickly circulated on social media, showing Kirk being struck while speaking under a white tent before crowds fled the scene.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has characterized the incident as a political assassination, though specific details about the accused, Tyler Robinson’s, motivations have not been fully disclosed in the available reports.
ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely after the late-night host’s controversial remarks.
The network announced on Wednesday, September 17, that the show would be on indefinite hiatus following comments Kimmel delivered during his Tuesday monologue about Kirk’s assassination. The decision came after Nexstar, a major broadcaster that operates 28 ABC affiliates, said it would no longer carry the program.
On Wednesday night, Sinclair, the largest operator of ABC affiliates—including the station in Washington, D.C.—announced it will air a special tribute to Kirk during Jimmy Kimmel’s usual timeslot on Friday.
The company also called on Kimmel to apologize to the Kirk family and said it will not resume broadcasting his show, even if ABC restores it, until it has formal discussions with the network about its commitment to professionalism and accountability.