What Jimmy Kimmel Said About Charlie Kirk: Facts and Fallout
Jimmy Kimmel’s Monday monologue about the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk set off a chain of pressure that ended with ABC pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely two days later. The exact wording, the FCC and affiliate reaction, and Trump’s contrasting claims are laid out below, with unverified points marked as such.
Monologue aired: Monday, Sept. 15, 2025 | Kirk shot: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 | ABC pause announced: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025 | Affiliates refusing the show: more than 60, per AP report carried by KRGV
What was said
- Kimmel’s Monday monologue said the MAGA gang was trying to characterize the suspect as anything other than “one of them” (NBC Miami report on the monologue)
- Kimmel answered a clip of Trump’s ballroom remarks with “the fourth stage of grief: construction” (Boston Globe report on the clip)
Network action
- ABC said Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be pre-empted indefinitely, announced on Wednesday, Sept. 17 (New York Times report on the pause)
- Nexstar said its ABC affiliates would pre-empt the show, calling the remarks “offensive and insensitive” (AOL/People report on Nexstar’s statement)
Trump response
- Trump called ABC’s move “Great News for America” in a social media post (New York Times report on Trump’s post)
- Trump said Kimmel was “fired because he had bad ratings” at a news conference in Britain on Sept. 18 (Boston Globe report on Trump’s UK remarks)
Disputed reading
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Kimmel appeared to mislead viewers into thinking the assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter; supporters say Kimmel never called the suspect conservative (AP report carried by KRGV on the complaint)
The table below separates dated events from the claims attached to them, so each date can be checked against its named source.
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kirk shooting | Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, Utah Valley University | Economic Times report on the shooting |
| Monday monologue | Monday, Sept. 15, 2025 | Florida Today report on the monologue |
| Tuesday monologue | Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025 | Yahoo News breakdown of the monologues |
| FCC threat | Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025 | NBC Miami report on Carr’s threat |
| ABC pause | Wednesday evening, Sept. 17, 2025 | New York Times report on the pause |
| Trump UK remarks | Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 | Boston Globe report on Trump’s remarks |
| Affiliate reach | Nexstar operates 28 ABC affiliates; more than 60 affiliates refused to air the show | AP report carried by KRGV on affiliates |
What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk?
What did Kimmel say on the Monday telecast?
On Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, Kimmel said: “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,” according to the NBC Miami report quoting the monologue.
The monologue aired a clip of Trump answering “I think very good” when asked how he was holding up, then moving to a White House ballroom under construction. Kimmel responded that Trump was “at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” as reported by the Boston Globe.
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?”
Jimmy Kimmel, host, as quoted by AOL/People’s transcript coverage
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Kimmel said “Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and mocked JD Vance’s hosting of Kirk’s podcast, according to Yahoo News’s day-by-day breakdown.
Why did the remark draw backlash?
Carr told Benny Johnson’s podcast that the remarks were “the sickest conduct possible,” according to AP coverage carried by KRGV. Carr’s critics on the right read the joke as tying the suspect to Trump supporters. Supporters replied that Kimmel never specifically called suspect Tyler Robinson conservative. Poynter commentary argued the point of the remark was that MAGA was blaming the left.
The dispute is about what the joke implied, not about the words the sources print. Those printed lines describe MAGA figures and do not name Robinson’s party.
TL;DR: Kimmel’s Sept. 15 monologue drew a complaint from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, and ABC paused the show indefinitely on Sept. 17.
The implication: the backlash rests on inference about the suspect’s politics, and the sources do not settle that inference.
What will Jimmy Kimmel do now?
What did ABC announce about the show?
ABC’s spokesperson said: “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” declining to share more details, per AP coverage carried by KRGV.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Brendan Carr, FCC chairman, on Benny Johnson’s podcast, via AP coverage carried by KRGV
Carr suggested the FCC could move to revoke ABC affiliate licenses to force Disney to act against Kimmel. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that licenses should be considered for revocation, saying “It will be up to Brendan Carr,” per the Daily Star’s Reuters report.
The FCC link is reported by secondary outlets. No primary FCC or ABC document appears in the source set, so the connection between the threat and the pause is documented only as reporting.
What remains unconfirmed about his next steps?
Confirmed in reporting:
- ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely on Wednesday evening, Sept. 17, 2025 (New York Times report on the pause)
- ABC declined to share further details about the pause (AP coverage carried by KRGV)
- Nexstar objected to Kimmel’s comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk (AP report carried by WBRZ)
Unconfirmed or disputed:
- Whether the pause is permanent. No source in this set says so.
- Whether Kimmel will return or what his next professional step is. Kimmel had not commented publicly as of Sept. 18–19, per AP coverage carried by KRGV.
- Kimmel’s contract running until May 2026, reported by AP coverage in the Post and Courier with only one verifying source.
- Trump’s claim that Kimmel’s Disney-era settlement cost ABC $16 million. This rests on a single low-tier opinion piece, Tallahatchie News, and is not verified.
What did Jimmy Kimmel say regarding Trump?
How did Trump describe the remark?
Trump’s Truth Social post congratulated ABC and attacked Kimmel’s ability, as reported by the AP report in the Post and Courier.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert.”
Donald Trump, President, Truth Social post
At a news conference in Britain on Sept. 18, Trump said Kimmel “was fired because he had bad ratings” and that “he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.” He added, “You can call that free speech or not,” per the Boston Globe. The ratings explanation is Trump’s claim, not an established fact.
Treat Trump’s “bad ratings” line as a claim to test against ratings data. None of the sources in this set supplies a ratings figure.
The pattern: Trump attributes the pause to ratings and talent, while the network-side reporting ties it to FCC pressure. The sources do not reconcile those two accounts.
Did Kimmel’s comments name Trump?
The quoted lines from the Kirk remark do not show Kimmel naming Trump. The monologue did air a clip of Trump. Florida Today reports that Trump said he was with ballroom architects when told Kirk was dead, and Kimmel replied: “There’s something wrong with him, there really is,” per the Florida Today report, which carries medium confidence.
What this means: any claim that Kimmel named Trump in the Kirk remark needs the broadcast transcript, and none is in the source set.
What is the new nickname Jimmy Kimmel gave Trump?
Is the nickname confirmed in sourced reporting?
No. The sources in this set name no nickname that Kimmel gave Trump. The “fourth stage of grief: construction” line is a joke about the ballroom, not a nickname, and none of the reporting presents it as one.
The implication: a nickname answer would need a Tier 1 or Tier 2 source quoting it, and none is in hand.
Can you provide a bio of Jimmy Kimmel?
Career and show history
Jimmy Kimmel hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. According to the AP report carried by KRGV, the show has aired on ABC since 2003. Contract timing comes from a single verifying source, so treat the May 2026 expiration as reported but unconfirmed.
Public profile in this story
Kimmel’s role in this story is limited to the Sept. 15 monologue and the network pause that followed. The source set does not cover his career before 2003 or his activity away from the show, so this article does not add those details.
A fuller biography would need a Tier 1 reference, which this source set does not include.
The catch: a biography beyond the show’s history would rest on sources the reporting does not supply.
Related reading: Amanda Knox true story and verdict facts · Miss Universe 2025 winner controversy and facts
Frequently asked questions
Why was Jimmy Kimmel Live! paused?
ABC announced on Sept. 17, 2025 that the show would be pre-empted indefinitely, after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened action and Nexstar said its affiliates would pull the show. ABC has not explained its decision beyond that statement, according to the New York Times.
Was the pause on Jimmy Kimmel Live! permanent?
No source in this set says it is permanent. The reporting describes the pause as indefinite, and Kimmel had not commented publicly as of Sept. 18–19, 2025.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Charlie Kirk was the Turning Point USA founder. He was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, according to the Economic Times.
How did Trump react to ABC’s decision?
Trump called it “Great News for America” in a social media post and congratulated ABC on Truth Social. At a news conference in Britain on Sept. 18, he said Kimmel was fired for bad ratings. The ratings claim is Trump’s, not an established fact.
Which outlets reported Kimmel’s remarks?
The coverage cited here comes from NBC Miami, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, Yahoo News, Florida Today, WBRZ, the Post and Courier, and AP reports carried by KRGV.
Has ABC explained the suspension?
Only with the “indefinitely” statement. An ABC spokesperson declined to share further details, per AP coverage carried by KRGV.
More related posts
Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here: Meaning, Story & Origins
High GGT Blood Test: Causes, Levels & How to Fix
Blenheim Auckland Flight Diversion: Passenger Rights Explained
Maeve Courtier-Lilley: Age, Ethnicity, Height, Movies & TV Shows
What to Do in Tauranga: Best Activities & Attractions
El Turko Charcoal Grill Menu, Reviews & Location | Lower Hutt
Flights Auckland to Bali: Cheap Deals, Time & Direct Options
What Song Is This? The Complete Guide to Identifying Songs
