what did jimmy kimmel say about charlie kirk exactly

Jimmy Kimmel made controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk following Kirk's assassination, which led to his indefinite suspension from ABC. In his Monday night monologue, Kimmel accused Trump's allies, calling them the "MAGA gang," of trying to exploit Kirk's death for political gain. He said, "The MAGA gang is desperately trying to portray this individual who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of their own, and they are doing everything possible to leverage this for political advantage." Kimmel also criticized the president's response to Kirk's death, comparing it to "how a toddler grieves for a goldfish" rather than how an adult mourns a friend. After the backlash, Kimmel returned to his show and made a more emotional statement clarifying that he did not intend to trivialize Kirk's murder or blame any specific group. He said the perpetrator was a "deeply disturbed individual" and that violence is never a solution. Kimmel expressed regret that his comments felt ill-timed or unclear to some and acknowledged why people were upset. He also thanked those who supported free speech, including Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Despite this clarification, some conservatives criticized Kimmel's remarks and his attempt to clarify them, calling his response inadequate or disingenuous. Kimmel condemned threats to free speech and criticized the regulatory response that led to his suspension. In summary, Kimmel's initial comments accused the MAGA movement of exploiting Kirk's death for political gain and criticized the president's mourning. Later, Kimmel clarified he did not blame any group but emphasized the killer was a troubled individual and expressed emotional regret over the situation.