Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday. The talk show host was preempted and paused after comments on Charlie Kirk’s death, and in his return, he took the time to address it. As he began speaking about Charlie and his widow, Erika, he became emotional.
After the death of Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel was among those to speak out. While he called it a tragedy, he also said some words that made many, including President Donald Trump, furious.
“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.”
He also criticized that flags were being lowered to half-mast in honor of Kirk. Moreover, Kimmel also mocked President Donald Trump’s reaction to the shooting.
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” the talk show host added.
Last week, Nexstar Media Group and partner television stations affiliated with ABC Television Network announced the suspension of the talk show “for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show.” Donald Trump called Kimmel a “loser,” but the aftermath became a question of free speech and what was really OK to say.
Jimmy Kimmel returns with late night talk show
Many comedians and celebrities, including former President Barack Obama, criticized the decision to preempt Kimmel, and on Tuesday, the talk show host was back.
Reports beforehand suggested that he was to address the comments he made prior to his suspension, and Kimmel did. In a monologue, Jimmy Kimmel delivered a bold message to Donald Trump.
“You almost have to feel sorry for him, he tried his best to cancel me and instead he forced millions of people to watch the show,” Kimmel said, “That backfired bigly, he might need to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now.”
Donald Trump threatened to go after ABC after seeing that Kimmel had been brought back to television.
In his monologue, the talk show host continued, saying, “The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke. One thing I did learn from Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and Howard Stern, is that a government threat to silence a comedian the President doesn’t like is anti American.”
While some of the things Kimmel said were with a humorous touch, that didn’t last. Instead, Jimmy Kimmel also addressed the fact that people called him insensitive when speaking about the late Charlie Kirk. At that moment, Kimmel had a hard time holding back his tears and praised the widow Erika Kirk.
Breaks down after words on Erika Kirk
“I want to make something clear because it is important to me as a human and that is that it was never my intention to make light of a murder of a young man. I don’t think there is anything funny about it, I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion and I meant it and I still do,” Kimmel said in his opening monologue.
“I understand that to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset,” he added, making a reference to ABC parent company Disney’s explanation for suspending the show.
Jimmy Kimmel concluded by sharing some words on Erika Kirk for her courageous decision to forgive the killer who murdered her husband,
“She forgave him. That is an example we should follow,” Kimmel added. “If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That’s it. A selfless act of grace. Forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply. If there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”
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