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Topics: Jimmy Kimmel, Film and TV, US News, Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump
Ellie Kemp
Topics: Jimmy Kimmel, Film and TV, US News, Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump
Jimmy Kimmel’s show will only return if he meets three conditions following his controversial comment about Charlie Kirk.
His talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was suspended 'indefinitely' on Wednesday (September 17), the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, Sinclair, confirmed.
It comes after political activist and Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck at a debate at Utah Valley University on September 10.
He was speaking as part of an event organized by his Conservative political foundation, Turning Point USA. But Kirk - who had previously claimed some gun deaths were 'worth it' to preserve the Second Amendment - was shot in front of 3,000 people, including his wife and two young children.
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22-year-old Tyler Robinson has since been charged with seven offences, including aggravated murder and obstruction of justice.
Kimmel recently addressed the situation at the beginning of a recent episode of his long-running TV show.
He aired a clip showing Trump being asked by a reporter outside the White House how he was 'holding up' after Kirk’s death.
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Trump quickly - and rather bizarrely - replied, "I think very good," before pivoting away from the subject entirely and talking instead about renovations happening at his Washington, D.C. residence.
Gesturing toward the site, Trump added: "And by the way, right there you see all the trucks. They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get for about 150 years. And it’s gonna be a beauty. It’ll be an absolutely magnificent structure.”
The remarks drew sharp criticism from Kimmel, who quipped: "He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?"
Kimmel then rolled another clip of Trump speaking to Fox News the previous week, in which he again responded to a question about Kirk’s assassination by shifting focus to his future White House ballroom.
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The late-night host doubled down on his critique: "There’s something wrong with him, there really is. Who thinks like that? We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to paint this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything but one of their own, while doing everything they can to turn it into political points."
Trump has since called for Kimmel to be fired over his comments.
In a statement, Sinclair detailed the steps Kimmel would need to take in order for his show to return.
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The company made it clear that the suspension would not be lifted until 'formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability'.
Sinclair also called upon Kimmel to' issue a direct apology to the Kirk family' and also make a 'meaningful personal donation' to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.
"Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform," Sinclair resolved.
Kimmel himself has yet to address the situation.
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UNILAD contacted Kimmel's representatives and Jimmy Kimmel Live! for comment.