Jimmy Kimmel has been pulled off the air ‘indefinitely’ by ABC after divisive comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
ABC announced on Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be removed from the network ‘for the foreseeable future.’
The show was canceled after Kimmel, aged 57, inaccurately suggested that Tyler Robinson, 22, who allegedly shot Kirk, was right-leaning. However, investigators stated Robinson actually had far-left beliefs and was involved with his transgender roommate.
In his episode on Monday, Kimmel discussed the tragic event saying, ‘Over the weekend, the efforts by the MAGA group to label the young man who killed Charlie Kirk as one of theirs rather than accepting the truth, reveals new lows in their quest for political gain.’
‘On Friday, the decision to lower flags was met with some criticism, but on a personal level, you can clearly see how deeply this affects the president,’ he continued.
The segment then featured President Trump, 79, responding to reporters’ questions after the shooting, where one expressed sympathy for the loss of his ‘friend’ Kirk.
Jimmy Kimmel, 57, has been pulled off the air ‘indefinitely’ by ABC after divisive comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk
When inquired about his wellbeing, Trump responded, ‘I believe I’m doing quite well, and right there you can see where they’ve started the construction for the new White House ballroom.’
Trump continued talking about the ballroom plans, saying the result would ‘be a beauty.’
Kimmel then quipped, ‘Yes, he’s at the fourth stage of grief, construction.’
‘Demolition, construction,’ Kimmel added.
‘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, okay?’
Kimmel also showed a clip of Trump during his September 12 appearance on Fox & Friends, recounting how he learned about Kirk’s death.
‘When I heard it, I was in the midst of, you know, building a great — for 150 years they’ve wanted a ballroom at the White House, right? They don’t have a ballroom; they have to use tents on the lawn for President Xi when he comes over. If it rains, it’s a wipeout,’ Trump shared.
Trump remembered meeting with the architects and planning the ‘incredible’ design for the ballroom when someone entered and told him, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’
‘And then we installed the most beautiful chandelier,’ Kimmel said, as the cameras panned back to him. ‘Sconces you wouldn’t believe.’
Kirk, 31, was debating with students at Utah Valley University last week (pictured) when he was shot in the neck
During his Monday episode, Kimmel addressed the tragedy, stating, ‘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’
Investigators said Kirk’s alleged shooter Robinson (pictured during his video court appearance on September 16) held far-left ideologies and was dating his transgender roommate
Shortly after the shooting, Kimmel wrote on social media: ‘Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?’
‘There’s something wrong with him, there really is. Who thinks like that?’ Kimmel questioned.
‘Why are we building a $200 million ballroom in the White House? Is it possible he’s doing it intentionally so we can 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.’
Kimmel was reportedly set to address his remarks on his show Wednesday night, before he received news that he had been axed, according to Deadline.
He is now said to be livid over the sudden change of plans.
Kirk, 31, had been shot and killed at Utah Valley University on September 10 – in front of an audience of 3,000 horrified spectators – Kimmel reacted to his death online.
Shortly after the shooting, Kimmel wrote on social media: ‘Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?’
‘On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.’
But he appeared to change his tune before his monologue on Monday.
The television personality’s remarks had caught instant flak from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson earlier on Wednesday that he was considering an investigation into Kimmel and his network ABC for his claims.
Kirk (pictured with his family) was a co-founder of the political nonprofit Turning Point USA
‘When you look at the conduct that has taken place by Jimmy Kimmel, it appears to be some of the sickest conduct possible,’ Carr told Johnson.
‘As you’ve indicated, there are avenues here for the FCC, so there… are some ways in which I need to be a little bit careful because we could be called ultimately to be a judge on some of these claims that come up,’ Carr said.
Following the news of Kimmel’s cancelation, Carr told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he was simply ‘suffering the consequences’ of his actions.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been a network staple for more than 22 years.
